For the Pursuit of Happiness
by Lina Cross
Summary: In this sequel to Of Forbidden, Nearly Illegal Love, Ember and Draco are involved in a new war; to fight for their rights and those of Muggles and Muggle supporters. Has someone come to take the Dark Lord's place?
1. Chapter 1

**From the address of Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy**.

Cool, right? Yes, I'm married. I'd been married for two years at this point. Twenty years old, I was an Auror, and Draco was a reporter for the _Daily Prophet_. I thought it good for him. Living a faster life, he'd allowed himself to have more fun. As a matter of fact, we'd recently gone to Ron and Hermione's wedding, where he actually danced!

We still lived in a little apartment, but if we kept saving like we were, we'd be able to afford something better. We were both damn good at our jobs, so I hoped one of us could get a raise soon.

The reason we lived in an apartment instead of, say, the Malfoy manor, was because the Ministry had confiscated Draco's fortune, as his parents were the rightful owners of it, were now in Azkaban for life, and wrote him out of the will when he'd sided with us at the Battle of Hogwarts.

But we were having a good time. I thought it was better that we weren't not filthy rich, anyway.

"Good morning, sweetie." I said, grabbing an apple out of the bowl and getting my things together.

Draco leaned against the door frame, floppy blond hair rumpled from sleep, shirtless, and in his green plaid pajama pants. "Morning." he said thickly, rubbing a hand over the back of his head.

"I take it you're not going into the office today?" I asked, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Nah... I'll work from here."

I grinned. "Is this because you have chores to do, or because you overslept?"

He put on his thinking face. "I don't think there are any right answers here."

I kissed his cheek. "I'm off. Love you, see you tonight." I told him, heading out the door.

"Love you, too." I heard him call.

Out on the front steps of the apartment building, I checked to make sure no one was watching, then Apperated to the Ministry of Magic. The guard wizard checked my I.D., then let me through. I walked into the Auror offices, stopping by the coffee maker on my way over to my cubicle. Ever since Voldamort's downfall, our basic purpose had been to round up any remaining Death Eaters, or eliminate any dangerous wizards that happened to crop up.

Nothing much happened for most of the day. Harry Potter (my partner) and I filled out a lot of paperwork and did a few errands. The exciting part came after lunch during a coffee break. "So I'm with Harry, and we're in Godric's Hollow, right?" I said, telling a story to a few other coworkers. "And we've got this load of Death Eaters right in front of us! I looked at Harry, told him he should go low and I'd go high, when one of 'em let's loose a spell before I was ready! Here's the best bit – _the spell blasted the Death Eaters in front of him_!"

The other Aurors burst out laughing, me included. "I'm not even kidding, sometimes the brilliance of these so-called 'evil' wizards just astounds me!"

"Malfoy!" Gawain Robards called from his office. "I need to see you!"

I excused myself from the cluster of chuckling coworkers and went through the door of the Head's office. "Yes, sir?" I asked.

"Close the door, Malfoy." Robards said from his desk. I did so, then sat in the chair across from him. He stood and came around to the side of the desk, leaning against it. "Whenever someone comes in to get an idea of the talent in this department, I always tell them to look at the people with the most scars. They're always the ones with the most experience. But you, Malfoy, are the exception to that rule." My chest swelled with pride as he looked at me. "You are one of the best damn kids I've had on the force, you and Potter both. So that's why I recommended you for the newest test from the Magical Experimentation department."

I looked at him, slightly confused. It was a known fact that that department had been working on spells to improve Aurors, though I hadn't known they'd started doing field tests. "What would that involve?"

"They say it's a special type of Charm," he said, lighting a cigar. "It's supposed to make you more alert, reflexive, and a tiny bit more aggressive. But it's still in the making, so as of right now, you have to go to their offices to get it implanted."

"Implanted?" I asked, alarmed.

"No, no, it just sounds scary." he chuckled. "Really, it's just not as refined. It's a little complicated, but once it's in, you're good to go until one of the workers from the department lifts the enchantment. Of course, you'll be paid. Every test subject is."

I thought it over for a few moments. We really needed the money, and what harm could it be, really? I'd get paid, and I'd be better at my job. "I think I'll do it." I said, standing.

"Now, wait," Robards said, holding up a finger. "They said to tell you it was to be kept under wraps, to see if anyone notices a change in behavior. If they do, then the charm goes back to the lab. This isn't supposed to effect your emotions." he explained.

"But I can tell my husband, right?" I asked.

"No, sorry." he said apologetically. "Personal life is where most of the emotions are, so..."

"I understand." I said. "How long will I have to do this?"

"A week at the very most. But you can request to end the test if something feels like it's going wrong."

"Do I need to schedule an appointment?"

"Already done."

**. . .**

I walked out of the Magical Experimentation department, feeling slightly nauseous and shaky, but they told me that was normal. It was Wednesday, being two days after I decided to be the test subject. I hadn't breathed a word of it to anyone, though it was harder keeping this from Draco. I kept telling myself that if I could just go through the week, we would probably have enough money saved up to put a down payment on a new house.

"Hello, sweetie." I said upon entering the apartment.

"Hey, Em," said Draco, looking up from the pot of soup he was leaning over. "You alright? You look pale."

"Just a long day at work, is all." I said, feeling horrible about lying.

"Well, then, I believe this should help." he said, smoothly sliding a steaming bowl of vegetable soup in front of me as I sat down.

I grinned. "This smells delicious."

"It had better. I slaved over that hot stove for _hours_."

I laughed, leaning across the table and kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

That was the thing about Draco. I'd fallen in love with his words when he made a career out of being horrible to people. Now he's made a career out of his words and I love him for who he's become. I think Voldamort being killed had something to do with it, as he was so much more relaxed now than I'd ever seen him.

I just hoped nothing would go wrong with this test thing so I could keep him relaxed.

**. . .**

**So, there ya go. First chapter of the sequel. I'm pretty sure Draco's gonna be very OOC, but, like I said, Ember changed him. Plus, now they have no money, so he can't afford to be an ass. I love this new Draco, though! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning, feeling as though I'd never had an experimental Charm placed on me. I felt completely refreshed, and was ready for a day of crime-fighting. I climbed out of bed, leaving Draco to sleep on (the man hated getting up before nine on most days. Most of the time I was the one dragging his lazy arse out of bed). Merlin greeted me at the bedroom door. I slipped my robe on and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast.

As I was pulling a plate out for an omelet, half the stack of dishes came falling down. Faster than I knew was possible, I caught them all and stuffed them back in the cupboard.

"Whoa..." I muttered, grinning as I looked at my hands. I finished making breakfast as Draco walked in sleepily. "Here, honey, I made you breakfast." I said, sliding a plate over to him.

"Thanks." he said thickly, staring at the food for a moment before digging in. "I'm going into the office today." he said as I made myself a cup of coffee.

"You do realize you need to get your arse into gear if you're doing that, right?" I asked. "You'll be late."

He shrugged. "Marcus doesn't really care if I'm late, so long as I get the job done."

I made a motion of general agreement when my mug tipped off the counter. I snatched it before it hit the floor, managing to get almost all the coffee, save for a few drops, back into the cup.

Draco stopped mid-chew and stared at me. "That... admittedly... was kind of cool."

I smirked. "Thank you." I checked my watch, then straightened up. "Well, I must be off. I'll make dinner tonight, sweetie."

"Can't wait." he said as I kissed him goodbye.

**. . .**

"Potter! Malfoy!" Robards snapped. "We got another one for ya!"

"What is it, sir?" asked Harry as we walked into the office.

"It's bigger than what we've been having lately." he said, handing us a pocket-sized file. "New group, calling themselves the Harbingers."

I made a face. "That's not particularly evil, is it?" I said. "A harbinger is-"

"A herald, yes." he said. "But a herald of what?"

I looked at him. "And you want us to find out?"

"No, I've already got Troy and Hushluck on that. I need you two to go down into Little Whinging and grab 'em, since that's where they are right now."

"Harry," I said, stuffing the little file into my pocket. "Get your Apperating pants on."

**. . .**

"Hey, Harry," I said once we were walking the streets of Little Whinging, his first home. "If you want to go back, I could probably handle this."

"Nah, I'm okay." he said, and judging by his silly grin, I knew he was telling the truth. "I made peace with this place a long time ago."

"Oh, good, 'cause I think I just found our targets." I said, gesturing to a group of black-cloaked people in an alley.

"Want me to start it off?"

"Be my guest."

"Oi!" he called, effectively getting their attention. "Any of you chaps know the time?"

This was how we always got into a mission. In case we mistook our target for some crazy Muggle doing a role-play thing (hell on our work, by the way. Halloween's even worse), they wouldn't think us asking the time or commenting on the weather was odd. But wizards doing something bad? They can tell we're Aurors just by looking at us. I mean, anyone else would think we're a couple of people with a variation of punk for a clothing style (as being this bad-ass just made you want to dress like it). But they know.

So, naturally, the second they saw us, they all took off. "Tch, amateurs." I snorted, thinking about all the Death Eaters who used Killing Curses on sight. "You go low, I go high." I said, tearing off to the left as he went right. There were three Harbingers going that way, so I pelted down the street after them. Being faster because of the Charm, I caught up with them pretty quickly. "Hey, boys, sorry to drop in like this, but-" I immediately began the "physical education" portion of my job. This is where I physically educate you in the fact that _you're breaking the law_. This was used because we couldn't let Muggles see us using magic, so we did things the Muggle way first. I had two guys on the ground by the time the third had enough sense to run.

"Oh, no ya don't." I snarled, dragging him back by his collar and pinning him roughly against a brick wall. Wow... this Charm really _did_ make me kind of aggressive. "Who are you and who do you work for?"

"Put me down!" he squeaked.

"Yes, because you asked _so_ nicely." I said sarcastically. "Answer my question."

"I – I can't!" he said. Was he... trembling? Merlin, even the Death Eaters weren't this sniveling.

"Why not?"

"I'll be executed!"

I rolled my eyes. "Look, we can protect you. Just give me a name."

"I... I don't know..."

"What do you mean, you don't know? You give us a name, we give you safety so you can testify in court. What's not to get?"

"I don't know the name!" he cried.

"Oh, for the love of-" I ripped off his hood, revealing him to be a pudgy blond man with a lot of freckles. "Do _you_ have a name?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I... I..." His eyes suddenly glazed over, and then he was gone. Just like that. All I was left with were two unconscious men (who were quickly stirring) and a pile of robes.

"Em, I lost them." said Harry breathlessly, jogging up. He took one look at the scene and looked directly at me. "Why are you holding someone's clothes?"

I was still staring wide-eyed at the pile myself. "Erm... I think the Pensieve would explain it better than me." I said.


	3. Chapter 3

I sat down at my desk, quill in hand. Investigative journalism had gotten slow lately, as I'd had very few things in my in-tray. I took a look at the contents today and found more bland topics that nobody cared about. Then, at the very bottom, I found something talking about a new Dark Wizard group. As I read further, I saw it talked about the rise of a new group, possibly worse than the Death Eaters. In the corner, Marcus had scribbled that this article was my top priority.

He didn't need to tell me twice.

I immediately picked up my bag and left to question some wizards in Diagon Alley, who had reported seeing this terrorist group.

**. . .**

"Draco, hey!" called one of the Aurors as I walked into the offices.

"Troy," I said, nodding in his direction. I approached Ember's cubicle, but she wasn't there, so I leaned against her desk to wait.

Her space always scared me a little. There were maps and and things with little pins in them like everyone else, but the pictures she had were a bit frightening. One that was always up looked like some deformed hybrid of a lizard and a man. Another was a guy growling viciously into the camera. Two pictures were Ember's favorite, and I'm sure she'd put them up with a Permanent Sticking Charm. One of them was Bellatrix, laughing insanely, the other was Voldmort with an expression of utter hatred on his face. Both had a big red 'X' on them with the word "_ELIMINATED_". It made me think about exactly how good she was at her job, to hate every bad guy this much.

Other parts of the little walls had some of her old posters from fifth year. Like the one with the Dark Mark and the phoenix, and the Umbridge caricature. There were other drawings now, too, like hand-made wanted posters, some Muggle Rights propaganda (she'd become very pro-Muggle in recent years, now that there was no Voldamort to rally against), and a few sketches of her friends.

But _my_ favorite picture sat on her desk. It was the two of us, not at our wedding, but goofing off. She'd taken it with a Muggle camera, so the picture didn't move, but I liked it better that way. We were both making funny faces, and she'd jumped up on my back. I remembered when this was taken. Neither of us had been able to stop laughing.

"Relax, Hunter, I'll have the paperwork for you by tomorrow." I heard her calling as she neared the cubicle. When she turned, she broke into a smile. "Lunchtime already?"

"That it be, lover, dear." I said, pushing off from the desk.

She walked with me as we exited the office. "Where are we going today?" she asked.

"Florean Fortesque's."

She looked at me with a silly grin on her face. "Ice cream?"

"Well, they have other stuff, too, but that's the main point, yes." I said.

She grinned and hugged my arm as we walked.

**. . .**

We Apperated into Diagon Alley and walked, arm in arm, through the cobblestone streets. "So, anything new in the journalism department?" Ember asked.

"Actually, yeah." I said. "I got a new story this morning, and I think it'll bring us out of this slow period. At least for a while."

"Really?" she asked, genuinely interested. "What's it about?"

"Apparently, there's been sightings of a new Dark wizard group, and some say they're worse than Death Eaters." I told her. "Being an Auror, I'd assume you know all about it."

An odd expression crossed over her face. "Yeah... we're not really allowed to talk about it."

"That's fine. I don't really want to work when there's other stuff to do." I said, grinning as I kissed her lightly. "So, anything new with you?"

She groaned. "Just Hunter being the great idiot he is. Did you know he's pro-magic?"

"Yes, as you've told me many times." I answered patiently.

"I'm sorry, it's just... sometimes I believe the only reason he got the job was because his name is Hunter." she sighed. "The other day, he joined a rally that was promoting Muggle enslavement. He didn't even get suspended! Oh, that got me so _angry_!" She clenched her fists, shaking her head. "How can Robards keep him on the force? How?"

"I don't have all the answers, love." I told her as we walked into Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlor. We ordered, then sat at a table outside, enjoying the rare sunshine.

"What do people have against Muggles, anyway?" she asked, poking moodily at her Moose-Tracks ice cream.

"Maybe they think they're unintelligent animals." I pointed out. "That's what my parents used to think, anyway."

She cocked an eyebrow with that 'You're kidding me, right?' look she was so good at. "So you'd enslave a badger?"

I chuckled. "Badgers can't bring me food."

"Ugh, don't even joke." she groaned. "What do we even need slaves for, anyway? We've got all this magic that's getting improved all the time! What's the point?"

"Some people just like to be difficult, dear." I sighed.

Suddenly, she straightened up. I knew that look. She was on full-alert. "What is it?" I asked, lowly.

"Stay down." she whispered. "Better yet, get everyone out of here. Now."

"Why? What is it?"

"It's the Harbingers." she said, just before leaping over the railing that lined the patio.

**. . .**

**Gotta love how Draco totally wears the pants in this relationship, yet Ember's a total badass. I guess they don't really mix their private life with their working life _at all_.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Oi! Ye harolds!" I called.

"_Avada Kadavra_!"

_Oh_, I thought, raising my eyebrows. _These are a little more vicious_.

"_Protego_!" I snapped, deflecting the curse as people screamed and ran for cover. There were about nine hooded figures; far too many for me to take on alone, even with the Charm.

"_Reducto_!"

"_Bombarda_!" I ducked in the doorway of a shop, leaning against the frame. "_Epecto Patronum_," I muttered, causing a smallish dragon to shoot out the end of my wand. I sent a message to Harry and the other Aurors, hoping they'd get it in time.

**. . .**

Harry reclined in his office chair, smiling at Ginny's joke. "And the _Prophet_'s not giving you too much trouble?" he asked, patting her curved belly.

"Oh, no," she said. "Senior Quidditch Correspondent isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. And it's a lot of fun. Besides, Draco and I get to have coffee together. I tell him about the latest game, he tells me about the latest investigative news, it's all very informative."

"Oh, yeah, I heard that was going slow lately." Harry said. "Just a lot of rubbish concerning the Muggle enslavement issues that everyone's already heard."

"Well, I only caught him for a few seconds as he was practically running out of the office. But he says he's got a lead on a totally different story." she told him.

Suddenly, a silver dragon appeared in Harry's cubicle. They jumped, startled, as they heard Ember's urgent voice come out of it.

"Harry! Tell the other Aurors! Diagon Alley's under attack! It's the Harbingers! And they're worse than last time!"

The dragon disappeared, and Harry was instantly on his feet. "Sorry, sweetie. Duty calls." he said, grabbing his wand.

"Oh, no. You just go save the world, Chosen One." she teased. Underneath, she was praying he wouldn't get himself killed _again_.

**. . .**

"_Confringo! CONFRINGO!_" I screamed.

"_Sectumsempra_!"

I looked over, seeing Draco crouched behind a pile of fallen cauldrons. "Draco, what are you doing?"

"Nine against one! Did you _really_ think I'd leave you on your own?" he called.

"The Aurors are coming-"

"And when they do, I'll get out of your hair!" he promised. "_Bombarda Maxima_!"

"_Epelliarmus_!"

"Ah, Harry, how nice of you to join the party!" I said dryly. "_Stupefy_!"

"Wouldn't miss it! _Flipendo_!"

Soon, half the Aurors had arrived, and we managed to push back the Harbingers quite nicely. Then, without warning, all but one of the evil bastards vanished, leaving their robes behind. The last one raised his wand and bellowed, "_FLAGRATE_!"

We watched, startled, as he began writing in the air with fire. The moment he finished, he, too, vanished.

"Harry..."

"I see it." he said quietly.

"What does it mean?" asked Draco, who'd stayed for the fight mostly because there hadn't been an opening for him to get out of the way.

"It means we were right about being in deeper trouble than these idiots made it seem." I said.

Just then, a silver badger came running up. In Robards' voice, it said, "Clean it up. I want a full report when you get back."

"Malfoy!" Troy called. "You want Hushluck to take care of it?"

"I got it." I said, stepping foreword and beginning to erase the words now burned into my memory.

_We are but the Heralds_

_Of a much greater force!_

_Submit or perish!_

**. . .**

**Another You-Know-Who?**

A new Dark wizard group has arisen, but it hasn't been proven to be the

Dark Lord of the past. They call themselves the Harbingers, which lea-

ves everyone asking the same question; Harbingers of what?

There have been sightings of these new terrorists all over Great Briton,

the most recent being the one in Diagon Alley, in which yours truly par-

ticipated in the ensuing battle. Aurors are doing their best to capture these

criminals, yet they seem to possess a magic yet undiscovered by the public:

The ability to vanish without Apperition.

But out of all the things recently learned about this group, one thing is mer-

ely guessed at: They seem to be pro-magic. This has been observed by several

witnesses to the chaos, in which most targets were Muggle neighborhoods. Is

this another ploy to force Muggle enslavement?

The Ministry has asked the public to be wary. Some groups of Harbingers have

been tagged as deadly. Others, simply a minor threat. In either case, it is best to

contact the Department of Security immediately.

Senior Investigative Journalist

Draco Malfoy

I awoke to something hitting me in the face. "Ow! What-"

"You _arse_, Draco! You complete _arse_!"

I looked down at the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in my lap confusedly. "Excuse me?"

Ember was looking at me angrily. "You _published it_?"

"Well, yeah!" I said, irritated. "That's my _job_, remember?"

"I _remember_ me telling you that we_ weren't supposed to talk about it_!"

I glared at her. She'd been getting more and more irritable over the past few days, and I was really getting tired of it. "Look, just because _you're_ not supposed to talk about it doesn't mean others aren't!"

"I thought that _implied_ you weren't supposed to talk about sensitive information, either!" she yelled.

"The public needs to know if they're in danger!" I argued.

"Not the Harbingers vanishing without explanation! _We _don't even know what the bloody hell that is! And the pro-magic? _Where_ did that come from? The only place I've _ever_ seen it was _in my file_!"

"You think I stole information?"

"You certainly made the front page with it!"

That was quite a horrible time to pay attention to details, but I immediately dropped my anger and snatched the _Prophet_. "Really?" I asked, staring at the front page.

"Urgh!" she snarled, turning on her heel.

"Oh, Ember, come on!" I called, scrambling out of the bed. "You really don't trust me?"

"How could this have possibly made sense in your head?" she asked. "What made you think this was okay?"

"The fact that I got the information from witnesses, and from what I saw fighting alongside you!"

"You weren't even supposed to be there!"

"But I was! So I told the public what I saw!"

"I can't believe you're still justifying this!"

"I can't believe you're still being a bitch!"

Suddenly, she turned around and punched me right in the jaw. I recoiled, touching the place her fist had come in contact with. We both froze and just stared at each other for a moment, completely shocked. Then, it really registered what had happened, and I glared at her like I hadn't glared at anyone for years. She'd hit me. Over what? Misinformation? Even Merlin, the purple shape-shifter, was hiding in the corner as a little chicken.

She stood, hands over her mouth, stunned. "I – I didn't – Draco, I-"

"I need to get ready for work." I said quietly, heading back into the room and closing the door behind me.

**. . .**

"Malfoy!" Terry Boot crowed as I collapsed into my chair. "Hey, mate, congrats on the front page! Real eye-catcher, that was." Terry had become one of my best friends, oddly enough. He was on Editorials at the desk next door.

"Thanks." I said sourly, half-heartedly digging through my in-tray. It had become considerably fuller since yesterday. Probably because of more news on the Harbingers.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" he asked, looking at me curiously. "What, did you get into a fight or something?"

I gingerly touched my jaw, where a bruise was beginning to form. "Em and I had a row this morning."

"Oh, shame, that." he said sincerely. "But, you know, every couple fights."

"Yes, except it seems every time we do, we're on the verge of breaking up." I said. "She punched me."

He gave a low whistle. "What did you do?"

I explained what had happened, feeling awful when I got to the part about calling her a bitch. When I finished, I put my head in my hands. "I don't get it, Terry. What the hell am I supposed to do about this?"

"Personally, I'd talk to that old geezer, Grizel Hurtz in down in Advice Columns."

I peeked through my fingers, giving him an exasperated look. He rolled his eyes. "Look, if you want advice from someone who's been through a few rows, then listen. When she gets in tonight, talk to her. If she's doing the late shift again, corner her tomorrow morning. You two _have_ to talk it out if you're ever going to get this resolved."

I sighed. "Yeah, fine, alright. But she _is_ the one with the martial arts skills."

"And you have language skills." he pointed out. "Remind her that the pen is mightier than the wand."


	5. Chapter 5

Even after Draco walked out of the room, I still stood for a good fifteen seconds before deciding on a course of action. I grabbed my coat and left the apartment, not even bothering to check for Muggles as I Apperated.

I flashed my I.D. at the guard and entered the lift. I pressed the button for level two and waited in the back for the people before me to get off.

"Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."

I walked through the golden grills and headed to the office, fully prepared for what I would do next.

"Sir?" I said, stepping into Robards' office. "Do you have a moment?"

"What do you need, Malfoy?" he asked, still flipping through a file.

I closed the door behind me. "I want to end the test."

He looked up, mildly surprised. "And why's that?"

"Because it's effecting my emotions." I said.

"Well, just your opinion doesn't mean-"

"I punched Draco in the face this morning, sir." I interrupted. "I want to end the test."

He looked at me, shocked, the cigar drooping from his mouth. "I'll schedule the appointment, then."

"Thank you."

**. . .**

I groaned as I awoke to bright lights and coarse sheets. I tried to raise my hand to my head, but it hurt to much.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" said a sickeningly cheery voice next to me. "How do you feel?"

I cracked my eyes open to see and short, black-haired woman looking down at me, smiling brightly. "Everything hurts." I groaned.

"Well, yes, that's quite normal." she said, scribbling something onto her clipboard. "Your body has adjusted to the feeling of 'something extra,' as we call it. You should be fine by tomorrow, if not by Sunday. If it still persists, only minor physical therapy will be required, and you'll be good to go!"

"Physical therapy?" I asked, cringing internally.

"Uh-huh! You need to rework those muscles of yours." she said, taking my arm and extending it outward. Pain erupted as though she were pressing on a huge bruise, and I hurriedly pulled it back.

"Uh, no! I don't need it!" I snapped.

"Very well! You're cleared to go home now. You're not allowed to Apperate, but you may use Floo powder, though I think taking Muggle transportation would be the least painful."

I winced. This lady was bound to give me nightmares. Well, our apartment didn't have a fireplace, so Muggle transportation it was. Hey, if I was gonna be rallying for them, I might as well see what it's like to be them for a while.

**. . .**

**Draco**

I sat at the kitchen table, having already begun eating. Ember wasn't normally this late unless she called first. Despite my lingering annoyance with her, I was becoming worried. What if she'd been killed on the job? No, Harry would have contacted me, and if not him, some other Auror.

Suddenly, the door opened, and in came Ember, looking wet. "Ember?" I said, surprised. "Did you walk here?"

"Took a cab." she said without feeling, throwing her coat over a chair. She walked awkwardly, like it hurt.

"Em... are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Do you want some dinner?"

"Not hungry."

I stared at her as she walked into the bedroom and shut the door. Normally she was ravenous when she got home. Had punching me upset her that much? She wasn't one to overreact. I returned to my soup, rubbing my forehead.

**. . .**

**Ember**

The next morning when I woke up, Draco was sitting on the floor cross-legged beside the bed. He looked at me, face completely serious. "Are you going to tell me what last night was all about?"

I sighed and put a hand to my head, noting that this movement didn't hurt nearly as much as the night before, yet I felt horrible. "I suppose I can tell you, now that it's over." I said.

"Tell me what?"

"I did an experimental test for the Department of Magical Experimentation. I was supposed to use this new Charm that made you more alert, aggressive, and reflexive." I explained. "That's why I hit you. It started getting out of control."

He looked at me with a hurt expression. "Em... why didn't you tell me?"

"They told me I wasn't supposed to tell anyone until after the test. That way, if I didn't notice a change in my own behavior, someone else would." I said apologetically. "Trust me, it _killed_ me to not be able to tell you."

He leaned forward, kissing my forehead. "Why did you do it?"

"There's a bag in my coat pocket. Go look." I said in answer. He left, and a few minutes later, he came back with a stunned look on his face. "They had to reimburse me for the test having gone wrong." I said.

"But... that's half our savings right there!" he said excitedly. "Em..." He crouched down to my level, smiling sweetly. "We could buy that old house we've been looking at after I get my next pay check."

I smiled back, not wanting to open my mouth. That horrible feeling had turned into nausea, and he must have noticed, for he put a hand to my forehead. "Em, you're burning up." he informed me.

"Can you please move?" I asked quietly. He scooted back, and I threw the blankets off of me, dashing to the bathroom. I almost didn't make it, seeing as my legs protested strongly. "Oh, Merlin..." I groaned.

"Sweetie, you were out in the rain last night. What did you expect?" he asked, sitting on the tub next to me. "At least it's Saturday and you don't have to go into work."

"Oh, the little things..."

"The little things." he agreed, pulling back my hair as I ducked down again.


	6. Chapter 6

I walked into the offices for the _Daily Prophet_ bright and early on Monday, feeling utterly happy. We could buy an actual house now, and Ember wasn't in danger of slapping me anymore.

"I see things went well with the wife." Terry observed, looking around the little divider as I sat down.

"Very. Apparently, it was some experimental test making her all angry." I said. "I'm just glad it's over."

"I'm sure you are. Hey, some lady stopped by to see you after work last Friday. Told her you'd be back Monday, so you might be seeing her today." he said.

"Is she here about the witnesses to the Harbingers?" I asked, putting a few papers into a pile.

"Dunno. She just said it was important."

I nodded. "Well, if she comes back and I'm not here, send a Patronus or an owl or something."

"Will do, Ace."

**. . .**

**Ember**

"Morning, Harry." I said happily, striding to my cubicle.

"Morning, Em. You look better than you have." he commented, sipping at his coffee.

"I got a load off my shoulders the other day. I _feel_ better." I said, sliding into my chair so it spun as I kicked my feet up. "I was also sick all weekend, so now that I'm healthy, it feels good."

He grinned. "Ginny got over the whole morning sickness thing about a month ago, thank _Merlin_."

I laughed. "How is she, anyway? Do you have a name picked out?"

"She's doing good." he said, seating himself in the cubicle next to mine. "And... well, we were thinking about James Sirius."

I stopped spinning my chair and looked at him. "Harry, that's... that's great." I said happily. "Really, really great."

"Glad you think so. I thought hard about it before bringing it up with Ginny." he said, looking just the teeniest bit bashful. "She was all for it."

"That's great!" I exclaimed. "Harry, you're going to be a great dad. When that kid gets to Hogwarts all his friends are going to be jealous."

"Speaking of the old Alma Mater," said a particularly unwanted voice. "Chief has a new job for you."

The smile slid off my face as I turned to face Hunter. "What is it?"

"Well, why don't you go ask him?" he said snidely. He turned to Harry. "So, Potter. This whole 'baby' thing's prolly got you in a right stir, am I right?"

"Well, I'm nervous, yeah." he admitted. "Who wouldn't be?"

"Oh, I'm sure ya are," Hunter said, obviously faking the fatherly tone. "Yeah, takin' care of a baby's no killin' Voldamort, now, is it? You gotta be... responsible," He looked disdainfully at Harry's messy desk. "Caring," He raised an eyebrow at a picture of a Death Eater in which a pin had been jammed right into the eye. "And... patient." he finished, flicking Harry's red forehead. Instantly, he was on his feet, looking ready to pummel Hunter.

"If you're _through_ terrorizing Harry, I'd quite like for him to join me in seeing Robards now." I said curtly before anything could erupt.

"Alright, alright, no need to get yer panties in a twist. I'm leavin'." he said, holding up his hands in surrender as he walked away.

Harry, breathing heavily out of anger, collapsed back into his chair, exhaling explosively. I looked at his dejected expression and rolled my chair closer. "Don't listen to him, Harry. He's just a bloody idiot trying to get to you."

"But he's right, though." he said quietly. "I don't know the first thing when it comes to kids. I mean, even Molly and Andromeda had to take care of Teddy most of the time. I just... I feel like I'm going to ruin my own son."

"Harry, you can't possibly think that. Just because your desk is messy doesn't mean you're irresponsible. It just means you have better things to get to than nit-picking at every little pile. Just because your pictures are hung a little more violently than usual just proves you have the fight in you to _want_ to make this world safer. And, really, _I_ was about to punch Hunter in the face. It has nothing to do with your patience." I said.

He looked at me. "Em... do you really think I can do this?"

I shrugged. "You killed Voldamort, didn't you? One and a half times, I might add." He snorted as I stood. "And, you know, if you still have doubts... talk it out with Ginny. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Potter! Malfoy! Get in here!"

He smiled. "We'd better go. And... thanks."

"Anytime."

We walked into Robards' office, crisis having been avoided. Hushluck and Troy were already seated in there. "What is it, sir?"

"Not really anything huge." he said, chomping down on his cigar. "You need to escort a girl named Emelina Rosengrand to Hogwarts this year."

"What's the danger?" Harry asked.

"Well, with this new rise of anti-Muggle terrorists, she's right in harm's way." he explained. "Her father is on Parliament, which means he and his family are big targets."

"Isn't the train safe?" I asked, crossing my arms.

He sighed. "It's perfectly fine. But Mr. Rosengrand wants extra precautions taken."

"But that's ridiculous." said Troy. "It'll only bring more attention if she's escorted by Aurors."

"That's what _we_ told him, but he wouldn't have it." Robards said gruffly. "You won't be gone long, only a few hours."

"How are we supposed to get her there?" Hushluck asked.

"Minister Kingsley has agreed to loan us a couple of Ministry cars."

"But how do we get to Hogwarts?" I asked. "No one ever says where it is."

"With faith, trust, and a little pixie dust." Robards said sarcastically. "We know that, Malfoy. The cars know the directions. All you need to do is keep her safe and act like you're driving."

I pressed my lips together, annoyed by his sarcasm but otherwise unaffected. I followed the other Aurors out of the office. We needed to get started as soon as possible.

**. . .**

"I can't believe we're _driving_ to Hogwarts." I grumbled, fiddling with the wheel as we zoomed down a highway.

"I did it, once." Harry said.

"Yes, with a _flying _car!" I argued. "This is so un-magical, it's almost illegal! I mean, she doesn't even get to connect with students on the train! When she walks in there, she'll know _nobody_."

"Will you lower your voice?" Harry whispered, gesturing to the back seat.

"It's alright, I'm not sleeping." said Emelina.

"See, Harry? She's not sleeping. It's fine."

"I just thought we might give her some peace and quiet before an exciting year, that's all."

"Are you guys married, or something?"

We both looked at each other with matching surprised expressions. "No," said Harry quickly, looking back. "We're partners."

"So... like... friends with benefits?"

"_What_?"

"You're eleven! How do you know this stuff?" Harry exclaimed. "No, we're not like that at all. We're both married to _different people_. We're just best friends, that's all."

"Oh." was all she said, turning to look out the window at the darkening sky.

"At least we're almost there." I said, eye still twitching. "Then she can make _friends_ and be _normal_."

"Yeah. Not like she has a scar forever marking her as a target or anything." Harry said casually. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, grinning.

"You know, I was always nervous around police." Emelina said quietly. "I always felt like they'd catch me doing something wrong."

I smiled and laughed a little, looking back at her. "Emelina, sweetie... we're not police. We go out, hunt down the dangerous people, and hand them over to the police. We don't nit-pick."

She looked at me. "Really? That sounds cool."

"It is. It's very cool. But it's a lot of work." I told her.

"Yeah. They ask you to do stuff like test experimental magic in the field." said Harry.

"_Or learning new things_." I said through gritted teeth. "Like the all-necessary Patronus Charm. It's difficult, though."

"Really?" she asked. "What do you have to do."

"Well," he said. "You have to think of a happy thought."

"Any happy th-"

"I swear to Merlin, if you finish that sentence, we're pulling over." he interrupted.

I grinned and gave her a high-five. Harry had taught a few small classes on Defense Against the Dark Arts for some Aurors in training. _Every single class_ had at least one student who quoted Peter Pan.

Suddenly, something hit the windshield, and the car swerved automatically. "What the hell was that?" I shouted.

"Em, Harry, the Harbingers are here." said Hushluck's urgent voice coming from my radio ( it was a sort of magical walkie-talkie that looked like a badge. Standard issue). In the background, I could hear Troy shouting spells.

"Harry?"

"How about _you_ go low and _I'll_ go high."

"I don't think so." I said, yanking on the emergency break. "Change of plans, Emelina. Stay in the car with Harry, we'll try to hold them off."


	7. Chapter 7

I began packing my papers up, completely ready to just go home and maybe have a couple of drinks with Ember. It had been an exhausting day, what with me running around trying to get as much information as possible for my next article. Marcus had been practically breathing down my neck with how badly he wanted this more informative article to run, and I was sure the back of my hair was standing on end from the force of it.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

I turned, seeing a woman with long, wavy dark hair, olive-toned skin, and yellow eyes. "Yes?"

"I came here on Friday, but they said you'd left." she said.

"I'd been in a bit of a hurry." I admitted.

"Oh. Well... could we possibly talk somewhere... in private?" she asked shyly.

Thinking she might have information on the Harbingers, I agreed, taking her to the back supply closet. "So, what do you need?"

Suddenly, she slammed me against a set of small shelves, looking vicious. "My _employer_ didn't _appreciate_ the article you wrote about him." she said, though her voice wasn't angry. More... seductive.

"I – I – My article?" I said, feeling disoriented by her bright yellow eyes. She was pressed up against me, pinning me to the shelves.

"Yes," she said, drawing out the word. "You wouldn't want to get into _trouble_, now, would you?" On the word 'trouble' she'd pressed harder with her hands, hurting my shoulders.

I blinked, trying to clear my head. "The people need to know-"

"The people don't need to know anything." she whispered. "It's... better that way."

"How is it better-"

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh," she said, placing a finger on my lips. "If you keep this quiet... you live."

I slid down slightly as she let go and stepped back, heading for the door. "And, who knows?" she asked, turning slightly on her way out. "Maybe there'll be a little something extra in it for you."

"The Ministry _will_ get you." I informed her, crossing my arms.

She gave a soft laugh, and from behind I could see she was looking at something in her hand. "Oh... I don't think that will be a problem."

She walked out the door, and then... Gone. Just like that. A pile of clothes was the only proof she'd been there. I stooped down to see what she'd dropped as she left, then fell backward in surprise and fear, hitting my head against a box of parchment. It was a recent picture of Em, smiling at the camera in her Auror's get-up. The woman's last words echoed in my head.

"_I don't think that will be a problem."_

**. . .**

I sat on the couch, badly plucking out notes on my guitar (normally I was very good, just... not right then). The door banged open, and Ember entered, looking madder than a bull. Her arm was bleeding heavily, but she didn't seem to care. "Ember, what-"

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid_ _Harbingers_!" she roared, walking into the bathroom. I followed her, wondering what had happened. "We were supposed to guard a little girl going to Hogwarts!" she snapped. "The train would have been perfectly _fine_, but _Daddy_ had to go and want extra protection! So _I_, along with Harry, Hushluck, and Troy, got to play bloody babysitter!"

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" I ventured as she stripped her jacket off and healed her arm.

"We_ drove_ to Hogwarts!" she said angrily, storming from the bathroom in her tank-top. "And, as if that wasn't bad enough, we got _attacked_, because having a wizard guard for your kid brings _attention_!"

"Did anybody die?" I asked.

"No, thank Merlin." she said, calming down some. "I just get so _frustrated_! These stupid Muggles, they never _ever_ listen!"

"Then join the pro-magic movement." I suggested without sarcasm or irritation.

She looked at me, horrified. "And enslave the Muggles? Draco, we don't have the right as fellow human beings!"

"Well, then, you can't really complain, as all human beings make mistakes." I told her.

Her anger seemed to die out, and she sort of deflated a bit. "How can someone rant properly with such a sensible husband?" she asked as I kissed her forehead. "Well... what about you, then? Anything happen at work?"

I thought back to the woman in the supply closet, suddenly worried again. I'd have to keep writing articles to keep my job. If I got fired, I'd have to explain to Ember, and what would she say about a woman seducing me into doing the wrong thing?

Instead of answering her question, I kissed her. Not a light peck, not a sweet connection of lips; this was full on snogging. "Draco, wha-"

"Shut up and let me kiss you." I murmured, hitching her legs up by my hips and carrying her to the bedroom.

What? We're adults. We're allowed.

**. . .**

**Yeah... sorry it's such a short chapter. I'd just figured enough drama happened. Also, I had Draco playing guitar because Tom Felton (guy who plays Draco in the movies) sings and plays guitar. You should check him out. He calls it Feltbeats. **


	8. Chapter 8

Draco walked into the bathroom and rolled his eyes. "_Again_?"

"I'd like to see you try and stop it." I groaned, head bent over the toilet.

"You know, normally you have a better immune system than this." he said, perching on the tub beside me.

"I've been under a lot of pressure lately, okay?" I said irritably.

He slid to the floor and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I know you have. It's just... I'm wondering what it's doing to your health."

"You're wondering, are you?" I asked, peering at him through tired eyelids. "Have a look in there. That should answer your question."

"Er... no thanks." he said, making a face. "Do you want me to make some tea? It might settle your stomach."

"Go for it. I won't promise it'll stay down."

He got up and left the bathroom, still talking to me as he entered the kitchen. "You know, I might have you go to Saint Mungo's. Have them start putting you on supplement potions or something."

"I don't need to be medicated." I called.

"You do when you're too sick to work twice in two weeks."

"I told you, I'm-"

"Under a lot of pressure, yes, I got that." he said, cutting me off. "Look, if you're home again tomorrow, I'm _making _you set up an appointment." He returned, carrying two mugs of tea. "You can't be too careful in these sorts of times, love. For all you know, some Harbinger sympathizer is poisoning you."

I was about to take a sip when I stopped, wide-eyed. An idea had just entered my brain, and, once it was there, I couldn't shake it. "A – A Harbinger sympathizer?"

"That's what I said, yes." he said.

I looked at him. "You know... Hunter's been unusually horrid lately."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Em... I know you hate the man, but he fights the Harbingers same as you. I don't want you causing problems at work."

"I don't cause problems." I whined.

"Yeah, tell that to Dolores Umbridge, may she rest in-"

"Hell." I finished dryly, earning a light smack on the shoulder.

**. . .**

The next day, I was perfectly fine, aside from a few moments of feeling lightheaded. I returned to work, hoping it would be a fairly easy day, when we got the call.

"All hands on deck! Every Auror, out to the field, now!" Robards was shouting, face red. "Go! Move your asses! Carber, what the hell are you doin' standin' around? Go!" He was practically throwing people out of the offices in his hurry to get everyone out.

We'd gotten tipped off from an anonymous source that a huge raid was about to happen. We sent a few scouts, and they came back with news of at least forty Harbingers, maybe more. Every person was needed for the invasion. So, out we went.

"How long do you think this one's gonna take?" I asked Harry tensely as we waited.

"Why, you got a hot date?" he asked, equally devoid of humor.

"I _got_ a headache, and you _know_ these Harbingers do wonders for my health." I said with biting sarcasm.

"Well, here's your chance to see some specialists." he said, drawing his wand as we watched the Dark wizards approach.

"What was it Robards said about Killing curses?"

"'Use 'em if ya got 'em.'"

"Right."

"_Impendimenta_!" Jacobs cried out.

The fight began.

I don't know how long it was. I just know everything became a flurry of spells, explosions, shouts, and blood. I watched one Auror die, though I didn't know which one. I stayed away from the Killing curse, though. I'd used an Unforgivable Curse once, when I was fifteen. Never did I want to know that feeling again.

But we were winning, which was good. These wizards seemed to be fairly generic in their fighting style, while we knew ten different ways to hex someone to the moon and back. Really, though they were highly dangerous, it was like picking off ants. Albeit, very huge, very violent ants, but ants.

Suddenly, I heard Harry's voice above the chaos yell out, "EMBER! MOVE!" But it was too late. It was like every single Harbinger left just used _Bombarda Maxima_ and caused the whole field to blow.

**. . .**

"... and forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

It was to this whispered prayer that I awoke, completely bewildered and disoriented. "Where am I?" I asked thickly. Draco, beside me, lifted his head from his clasped hands and looked at me. His hair was a complete mess, and he had bags under his eyes.

"Em, you... Oh, my God." he said, intense relief coloring his voice as his head flopped back down. "Oh, thank God,"

"Draco, what-"

"You almost died." he said in a desperate tone, looking at me again. "They – they called me, and I – I really didn't-"

"Draco," I interrupted. "What _happened_?"

He swallowed. "I don't know. Nobody really seems to know. There was an explosion, that's all anybody keeps saying. And I don't know exactly what was wrong with you, since they just kept spewing this medical jargon at me. I was just at the office when Harry's stag came running in spouting about you being in Saint Mungo's, and I'd thought the absolute _worst_, so I came down here, and you were out for four days! And they kept saying you probably wouldn't wake up, you wouldn't recover, and I-" He looked at me desperately, then leaned forward and kissed me. When he pulled back, he had tears in his eyes. "Don't you _dare_ do that to me again."

I nodded mutely, totally at a loss for words. The moment had been... intense, to say the least. I still had no clue what happened, so it seemed like a lot.

"Hey! Looks like Prince Charming awakened the Sleeping Beauty!" called a familiar voice. I looked to the doorway to see a familiar red-headed, freckled face grinning at me.

"Ron!" I exclaimed, smiling. "And Hermione! You're back!"

They both came to my bed, Hermione on my left, Ron joining Draco at my right. "We cut the honeymoon a few days short when we got word of your hospitalization." Hermione said, kissing my cheek.

"Yeah. Sorry I missed all the fun." Ron said. "But look, I brought you chocolate as compensation."

"We came here as soon as we heard." she said earnestly.

"Yeah, but nobody could beat _this_ one." he told me, nudging the disheveled Draco. "We thought _we_ were bookin' it. Right as we walk through the door, Draco here has to speed past us like he's on one of those new Starcatchers, slams into the welcome desk, asks – no, _demands_ your room number, and hasn't left your bedside since."

Draco's face had turned red beneath his blond hair, and he pretended to be interested in a vase of flowers sitting on my bedside table. I grinned, taking hold of his hand and making him blush more.

"But, really, in all seriousness," said Hermione, lowering her voice. "He wasn't the only one scared. We were in the middle of packing when we got Harry's Patronus. I about had a heart attack, and Ron left everything at the lodge in his hurry to Apperate out of there. We had to contact the owners later about holding our things for us."

"Oh, Hermione, come on," Ron groaned. "No need to bore her with the gory details."

"Oh, thank _Merlin_," I heard someone sigh. "It's alright, Ginny, she's awake."

I looked to the door, and in trekked the rest of the Weasley family, along with Harry and Teddy Lupin. "She wouldn't even look until she was sure you weren't dead." Harry said, holding Ginny by her round waist.

She ignored him, leaning forward and hugging me tearfully. "Oh, Em, I thought you'd die! Everyone was so negative!"

I patted her back, looking over her shoulder at George. 'Crying?' I mouthed confusedly.

'Hormones.' he mouthed back, winking.

"Mum was in a right state," said Percy, patting Molly Weasley on the shoulder, who had, consequently, also burst into tears.

"We were _all_ worried." said Mr. Weasley, cleaning his glasses.

"I'm just glad you're finally awake." said Bill, who had Fleur clinging to his arm. "I thought Draco was about to hex one of the Healers when she said there hadn't been a change in your condition."

"Wait, hang it all!" I exclaimed over their chatter. "I feel fine. I couldn't have been in _that_ horrible a state. And if I was, how could I possibly have been the only one?"

"You weren't." Harry said. "There were two others; Bradley and Hayworth. But they were awake within a few hours of admittance. You caught most of the blast."

"And you don't _feel_ anything because of all the pain potions they've been giving you." said Bill. "I'm sure that means you haven't actually assessed the damage yet."

I looked down at myself and almost fainted with what I saw. It was like fifth year all over again, waking up to see my body covered in bloodstained bandages and yet feeling nothing. "Oh... my..."

"Ember," Draco said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably in his relief.

"BLOODY HELL!" I exclaimed. Most of the people around me winced, but they didn't seem surprised. And, when you mixed together the fact that I had been in a coma, could feel nothing, and that I'd been pumped full of pain meds, who would be?


	9. Chapter 9

For the next couple of days, I was trapped in Saint Mungo's. Draco visited me when he could, but he still had to work. Half the Auror office came in the day after I woke up, updating me on what had happened. When it looked like we were about to win the overall fight, a few of the Harbingers had performed (as I'd figured) _Bombarda Maxima_, causing the explosion. I'd been the closest to the group, which is why I was hurt the most. Afterward, in the resulting carnage, they'd all vanished, leaving behind their robes.

"When will it end?" I'd snapped, shaking my head.

"Love this," Troy had said. "The woman gets blasted to Kingdom Come, and she's still complainin' about elusive Dark wizards. Give it a rest, Malfoy. We can hold down the fort while you're away."

So, other than that, I'd been basically sitting and doing nothing but ungodly amounts of crossword puzzles and rereading Draco's latest article about the attack.

Then, one day, when I thought I'd finally get out, a Healer came to check on me.

"Now, let me just do one last test." she said, waving her wand over me. "Everything seems to be in order, so – oh!"

I stiffened. "Good 'oh', bad 'oh?'"

"Well, I'd say it's good." she said, smiling. "Mrs. Malfoy, did you know you were pregnant?"

I stared at her. "I... I'm sorry, what?"

"Yes," she said, laughing slightly in surprise. "It's a miracle, really. You seem to be about four weeks along. I can't _believe_ that explosion didn't cause a miscarriage!"

I just laid on the bed, totally stunned. I was what now?

Couldn't be. I got blown up. Not possible.

But the Healer said it, so...

Wait! A _month_ along? Those stupid people at the Department of Magical Experimentation didn't know I was pregnant? With all those tests they ran? I would have to write them an angry letter...

Oh. And how would I tell Draco? We never really talked about kids. I mean, sure, we mentioned it in passing, but it wasn't like we really discussed it to any length. We were always happy with the way things were. A baby would change everything, and I wasn't sure I felt all hugs and puppies about that.

Maybe I could ask Ginny for advice. She would know about this kind of thing, having had to tell Harry by herself.

And, come to think of it, what about all the stuff I was doing for the Aurors? Things had picked up considerably in the past month. How could this thing be still alive?

Oh, Merlin... My kid's going to be retarded.

**. . .**

I knocked on the door of the Potter's house later that day. Harry answered, looking surprised. "First thing you do after getting out of Mungo's is see the Potters?" he asked.

"One Potter in particular, actually." I said. "Or, well, technically one and a half. I want to talk to Ginny."

"Oh, good." he said, letting me in. "She's been wanting to see you again."

"She just saw me two days ago!"

"Yes, _I_ know that, and _she_ knows that. The thing is, she's pushy when she's pregnant." he replied, leading me through the house. I winced. I didn't really want to get pushier than I already was. "Gin! Hey, Ginny! Ember's here!"

I heard a tiny squeal from one of the rooms off he hall, and Ginny poked her head out. "Em! You've escaped!"

I snorted. "Barely. They wanted to keep me there an extra two days to monitor the – Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is there something wrong?" Harry asked concernedly.

I made a face, not wanting to leave my trusted partner out of this, but at the same time needing "_girl time_." "Alone." I said pointedly, shoving Ginny back into the room and closing the door. We waited for a few seconds, then heard him walk away.

Then she just stood with her arms crossed, watching me for a moment. When it didn't stop, I collapsed into a chair. "What?" I asked.

"_Muffliato_," she whispered, then put her hands on her hips. "All right, what is it? What could be so horrible that you can't even say it in front of Harry? Are you dying or something?"

"No. I'm pregnant." I said smoothly.

She stared at me a moment, wide-eyed. Then she squealed very loudly. "EM! This is GREAT!"

I allowed her to hug me, but didn't squeal and cheer. "Look, I need your help, alright?" I said, pushing her so she could look at me. "How am I supposed to tell Draco? I don't even know if he _wants_ kids."

She pulled up a chair excitedly and sat, grinning. "Oh, that was my _favorite_ part. You can do so much with that moment! You can dramatize the hell out of it, or you can keep it simple. Sometimes women leave clues or something. I told Harry when he got home from work. Sometimes, you don't even need to dress it up! The guy does all the dancing around for you!"

"Ginny, I don't want to dance around." I said. "I want to work up the nerve to actually _tell him_."

She leaned back. "Oh, well, in that case, I'll tell you what Mum told me. If you're scared, don't do it the way they do in movies. It'll only make you look back and think of how stupid that was. The best way for your first time is to just bring it up in a calm, controlled manner. It doesn't matter if you're shaking in your boots. As long as he really does love you, all he'll care about is the new family he'll have."

"So, just be cool?" I asked.

"As a cucumber." she answered.

I pondered this, beginning to map out my plan.


	10. Chapter 10

It was late when Ember finally got home. Too late, by my standards. "Where have you been?" I asked.

She paused, looking at me confusedly. "What?"

"You sent word that you were getting released _hours_ ago." I said, crossing my arms. "What were you doing?"

"I went to visit the Potters'." she said defensively.

I blanched. "The _Potters'_?" I asked incredulously. "You went to _them_ first?"

"I needed to talk to Ginny. What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"Well, A: I'm sort of your _husband_ and expected you'd want to see me, and B: Why couldn't you talk to me?"

"Because it was girl stuff." she said, getting irritated. "Why are you being so touchy?"

"Why am I being so – Ember, YOU WERE BLOWN UP!" I shouted, coming towards her. She backed up and fell onto the couch, looking at me in bewilderment. "I waited _four days_ for you to wake up! I didn't sleep! I hardly ate! Merlin, I even started _praying_! But, disregarding all of that, you decided to spend hours at the Potters' without telling me!"

"I didn't know about all of that!" she exclaimed. "You're being so unreasonable! It's like you're being overprotective!"

I roared with frustration, kneeling on the couch next to her and grabbing her shoulders. "Don't you get it, yet? Every day, you go out there, and I don't know if you'll be coming home! So, when you go off for a few hours and don't tell me, I automatically assume you're gone! Missing or worse!" I stared into her face. "Ember,_ I just need you to stop scaring me_!"

Her eyes widened, genuine panic within them. "Draco, let go!"

"Oh, come _on_, Ember," I said. "I know I'm angry, but I won't hurt you."

"No, I – I'm going to be sick!" she exclaimed, causing me to instantly release her. She turned and proceeded to vomit into the trash can by the couch. I frowned, tired of all this dramatic nonsense.

"Go to bed." I said flatly when she'd finished.

"W-what?" she asked.

"Go to bed." I repeated. "I can't deal with you when you're like this. We'll talk more in the morning."

Admittedly, I was a bit sore at her. She couldn't just expect to be able to roam around without telling me anything. I was frustrated at this point, really. Another article had been published, and still there was no sign of the mysterious woman. I was on edge, wondering what she would do to hurt Em, so obviously I'd been worked up when she didn't come home when I thought she would. I pulled out a blanket irritatedly, deciding to sleep on the couch for the night.

**. . .**

**Ember**

The next morning, it was as if we weren't allowed to speak of the fight. I began making breakfast, Draco got off the couch, and we made pleasant small talk. It was weird, like our row was tabooed or something.

"So, anything new?" Draco asked, reading the _Prophet_ as I put bacon and eggs on his plate.

"Oh, you know. Looking into stuff about Harbingers, Ginny's going to have a baby shower, I'm pregnant, and, oh, yes, you know Ron and Hermione are back." I said casually.

He took a sip of tea, nodding appreciatively, when suddenly he spewed the drink across the table. "WHAT?"

I backed out of the line of fire, making a face. "Draco-"

"No, wait a second." he said, grabbing me by my belt loop and pulling me towards me. "Did I hear you right? Did you say you were _pregnant_?"

"I – well, yeah, I suppose." I finished weakly, looking at him a bit timidly.

"But – but this is – you – how-" He looked at me desperately, a ridiculous grinned splashed across his face. "When did you find out?"

"Yesterday." I said. "The Healer told me I was a month in. Said it was a miracle it survived all the hell it's been through."

"That's because it's tough, like it's mommy!" he said excitedly, addressing my abdomen.

"Can you please not speak to my navel?" I said uncomfortably.

"Oh, this is going to be _wonderful_! Did I tell you I purchased the house?"

I blanched. "Wait, what? When?"

"The day you were put in Saint Mungo's." he said. "I'd just gotten back to the office from buying it when I heard about you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, grinning myself, now.

"Well, I was a bit distracted, wasn't I?" he asked. "I've been moving my things over there while you've been gone." He checked his watch. "I'm sorry, love, I've got to run. Marcus wants me in the office today, but I'll be home as soon as I can." He hurriedly kissed me on the lips, giving me an extra hug. "This – I – I'm just so happy!"

I watched him gather his things, babbling nonsense all the while. The door slammed, and then there was silence, apart from the soft breathing of Merlin, who'd gotten up on the table. I looked down at his purple hamster form. Suddenly, he turned into a purple infant, looking at me questioningly.

"Gah!" I exclaimed, jumping back. "Limited to animals! _Limited to animals_!"

He changed back to a hamster, looking apologetic. I sighed, grabbed my jacket, and left the apartment, feeling significantly less bubbly than my husband.

**. . .**

**Draco**

"Someone looks happy today." Terry commented as I tossed my bag to the floor under my desk.

"You won't believe the news, Terry!" I said excitedly. "Em and I are going to be parents! She told me this morning!"

He chuckled. "That would put you in a good mood. I always tagged you as the kind of guy who'd go crazy over kids. Well... since you started working here, anyways. At Hogwarts, not so much."

"Oh, but that's just it!" I said, leaning my head back, unable to stop smiling. "She did it. She did it all. If it wasn't for her, there's no way I'd be happy right now. It's always her."

Terry laughed. "You've got it bad, mate. No wonder you two ended up together."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, she's everything you've ever needed, and you're all the romance she's ever wanted. You suit each other."

"Yeah," I said, folding my hands behind my head. "Yeah, we do."

"You know I have to do it now, though."

"Do what?"

He filled his lungs with air, clapped a hand down on my shoulder, and bellowed, "OI! Malfoy's gone and knocked up his wife!"

**. . .**

**Ember**

I sat heavily in my chair, staring at the pile of paperwork that had accumulated over the past week or so. Unable to think of anything else to do, I started on it.

"Hey, Em." said Harry, sliding his chair over to my desk. "Ginny told me your big news this morning! I think it's great!"

"No, it's not." I snapped. "It's not _great_, it's not _fabulous_, and it's not any other word that characterizes happiness."

He recoiled, surprised. "Em, what-"

"Look, see? You're doing it, too." I said, frustrated. "Everyone just assumes I should be all happy about this, but I'm not! I didn't want kids. Still don't! And now I've got one forced on me!" I buried my face in my hands.

"What is this? What about all that stuff you said to me last week? About being a great parent?" he asked.

"That was for _you_, Harry! I'm not cut out for this! It doesn't matter how responsible, caring, or patient I am (even though I'm _none_ of those things)! I can't deal with small children! You saw how I was with Emelina!"

"I thought you were alright." he said.

"From a _parent's_ perspective."

He paused, then sighed. "Look, this really isn't my area. Go talk it out with Draco. He'll understand."

"No, see, I can't do that." I said. "When I told him this morning, he was through the roof. You should have seen him, Harry, he was so happy! How can I take that away from him? He's so excited to have a kid, and I... I'm just not!"

He looked at me sadly. "Look, Em... I know this feels overwhelming, but... maybe you should try getting used to the idea. Don't dismiss it so easily. I mean, this is another _life_ you're talking about."

I sighed. "I _know_, Harry. That's what makes this so hard. I can't just _do_ something about it like usual. I just have to wait it out."

"Besides, if you don't want it so badly, why did you tell him about it?" he asked sensibly.

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know."


	11. Chapter 11

**I just want to make this absolutely clear: I AM AMERICAN! I don't know the British government, so forgive me for the substitute. I just needed to get that out of the way.**

**. . .**

It had been several weeks since Ember's gigantic news, and I was still is a great mood. My family had been terrible, to say the least. Only my mother had been good enough for me to actually love, and she was thrown in Azkaban because of my father. But I could give my own child something so much better. I could change the name of Malfoy so no one thought of evil and death when they heard it. My excitement at being able to give someone a better life than what I had to go through was enormous.

"Hey, Draco," said Faban, a man working on social journalism. "Marcus has a new story for you."

"New?" I asked, sliding into my desk chair. "What about?"

"New man trying to become Minister of Magic." he said. "Surprise candidate."

As he walked away, I dug through my in-tray and found something that talked about what he mentioned. I scanned the page, then slammed my fist on the desk, anger coursing through me. "Are you joking?"

"What's the problem?" asked Terry, walking over with a cup of coffee.

"Look who's the newest candidate for Minister of Magic." I said, thrusting the page at him. He looked at it, then shook his head.

"Nah, no way." he said, giving it back. "Even if he was, it's not like he'd actually win."

"Who?" asked Ginny Potter, walking up.

I was on my feet at this point, completely enraged. "Krish Anderlind is running for Minister of Magic."

She gave me a blank look. "Sorry, not into politics. Who is that?"

"Who is-" I threw up my hands. "He's only the most anti-Muggle man I've ever seen. I had the privilege of interviewing him once. I'm telling you, if he had the power to kill every Muggle in the world, he would."

"Then why are they letting him run?" she asked.

"Because he's classy." said Terry. "He comes across as a bloke who's got a good grasp on reality and fairly level-headed, when underneath rages a madman."

"I can't believe this." I said, leaning against my desk. "Em's gonna be so _pissed_."

"He's not going to win, though, right?" Ginny asked.

"Really, at this point, it's anyone's guess." I said. "I told you, he comes across as a gentleman."

"He's against Goblin rights, too, did you know?" Terry asked.

"Please, I really don't need this right now." I said, grabbing my coat and walking away. "I need to go figure out _exactly_ what Marcus expects me to do for this, because I sure as _hell_ am not going within two miles of that man unless it means I get to kill him!"

**. . .**

I stormed into our new house, fuming. Marcus wanted me to not only find all I could on this guy, but also _interview _him. Repeatedly. I didn't know if having a good job was worth doing something like that.

"You seem like you're in a foul mood." Ember said, sitting on the couch with a cup of tea.

"Know who's running for Minister?" I asked heatedly, slamming a cupboard as I took out a mug.

"Not anyone who'd make you so angry you'd break my dishware, I hope." she said.

I threw that evening's issue of the _Prophet_ at her, hitting her in the face in the process. She didn't seem to care, so I didn't say anything. I headed back into the kitchen to make tea when I heard a shattering sound. Automatically fearing something awful had happened, I ran back into the living room to see Ember on her feet gripping the paper, knuckles white. The shattered remains of her mug lay forgotten on the carpet.

"No." she said lowly. "You're _joking_. This is just – it's just-"

"Horrible?" I offered, leaning against the door frame.

"_Sick and wrong_! Merlin, as if enough hasn't been going wrong lately!" she exclaimed, sitting heavily on the couch. "I mean, what the _hell _are they thinking even letting him run?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Bribery."

"Like I said, good as mine."

We sat in angry silence for a moment, when a thought entered my head to dispel my fury. "Wait, Em, what about your appointment?"

Ember, having flopped in a very unladylike fashion against the couch, gave me an odd look. "What appointment?"

"You know, to go in and see the gender of the baby." I said, feeling confused.

She made a face. "Draco, that's next week."

I sighed, putting my head in my hands. "I thought next week _was_ this week."

I felt her lean forward next to me and put a hand on my back. "Draco... are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just... tired, is all." I said.

"See, I'm not so sure." she said. "You've been in a good enough mood lately that I haven't pressed it, but you've been looking worn out. And, right now, you look like hell."

"Well, _darling_, I feel like hell." I said bitingly, instantly regretting my tone. "I'm sorry, I just... I _have_ to do this story on Anderlind, and that means I need to get close to him."

"Try to get close without getting close."

I gave her a look. "You want me to poke him with a stick, don't you?"

She smirked. "Not what I was thinking, but that would be nice. I was trying to say that maybe you could keep your emotions and opinions out of the way while you deal with Anderlind."

"Em, it's not that easy-"

"Just try, okay?" she said, covering my mouth.

I removed her hand. "Fine. But not for that Godforsaken-"

"Arse. I know. Your water's boiling."


	12. Chapter 12

When I walked into the Auror office from morning patrol, I was totally confused. Outside it was pouring rain, but inside it was very quiet. "What's going on?" I asked Harry, sitting down.

"Everything's calmed down." he said quietly. "You should go home."

I looked at him. "Why?"

"Because I told you not to be out in the field-"

"Harry," I murmured. "You just said everything's calmed down. There's no point in me going home if all I'm doing is sitting here doing paperwork."

He looked like he was about to retort when someone said, rather loudly, "Well, look who's gotten themselves all knocked up."

I closed my eyes as Hunter swaggered up. "What do you want?" I asked.

"Well, I just wanna know the latest gossip, little spitfire." he said, cupping my chin.

"I'd advise you not to touch her." Harry said quietly, and I could almost feel him drawing his wand as I pulled my face away.

"Now, now, no need to get violent." he said reproachfully. "Just checkin' up on the little lady. You know," He looked down at me, a slight smirk on his face. "Ten Galleons says it's Potter's. And who'd be surprised, with how cozy you two get on long stake-outs-"

Harry and I were both on our feet, wands drawn. "Shut it, Hunter." he said evenly.

"Oh, dear me, I seem to have touched a nerve." he taunted.

"I swear-" I began, but Harry held me back.

"That's right, Spitfire, don't engage in any fights now." Hunter said. "Harry wants his baby kept safe. Why don't you just go find something to do in the kitchens, eh?"

I was nearly at his throat when Troy and Hushluck came walking up. "Oi, Hunter!" Troy said. "How's about we leave the nice lady alone, yeah?"

"There's plenty of violence going around without causing any in the office." said Hushluck. "Particularly not to the pretty lass what fetches the coffee in the mornings."

"Oh, come now," said Hunter. "I was just congratulatin' Red here on her victorious attempts in bed." He put his arm around my shoulders and patted my belly, to which I shoved him away disgustedly.

Harry, at the same time, had pulled him away from me. "I told you not to touch her."

"Look, Hunter, it's obvious you're just stirrin' up some bad feelin's here, mate." said Troy, attempting to keep the peace. "Why don't you just go back to your desk, yeah? Finish yesterday's paperwork." 

Hunter straightened his jacket. "I don't need damned sodomite tellin' me what to do." he growled.

"Oi!" snapped Hushluck as he and I dove for Hunter at the same time. Harry grabbed me while Troy held on to Hushluck.

"Benny, mate, knock it off!" Troy exclaimed, pushing him back. "I don't care, really."

"Yeah, leave 'im be, Benny," Hunter mocked. "Otherwise, he might try to feel you up if you get too close. As if he hasn't already."

"Alright, that's it!" I snapped, drawing my wand. "I've had enough!"

"HUNTER! MALFOY! MY OFFICE! _NOW_!"

I winced as Robards' voice boomed across the offices. What few workers hadn't been watching the drama play out now were staring as we turned towards the door. I shoved Hunter roughly out of my way as I walked, and he mumbled something like, "Whores first."

I was the first into the office, where I stepped to the side and crossed my arms. Hunter strolled in, looking as though nothing had happened. Robards looked fit to murder someone, his smoking cigar adding to the image of rage. "Close the door." he said in a voice of deadly calm. I did so, and we all stood in silence for a moment.

"Malfoy," he said, staring at Hunter. "Did he start this?"

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Did he touch you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Leave."

Without another word, I walked out of the office. Right after I closed the door, I heard him start totally ripping into Hunter, using as loud a voice as he possibly could. I walked stiffly back to my desk, where Harry, Hushluck, and Troy were still gathered. They looked at me concernedly as I flopped wearily into my seat. "I really hope he gets fired for this." I said. "Making rude remarks about me was one thing. But spitting upon your sexuality was totally uncalled for."

"Look, I'm telling you, I really don't care." Troy said. "I'm used to it by now. A lot of people don't tolerate gays, and I understand that. So does Herb. We've got a thicker skin than most people might think."

"That doesn't give him the right to insult you." I said. "I swear, I thought he was going to start ripping into your husband, too."

"I told you, Herb-"

"Look, I don't care, alright?" I said. "It may not bother you, but it _does_ bother me."

"You know what bothers me?" he asked. "Him touchin' you like you're some sort o' prize. He was practically droolin'."

"You probably couldn't see it," said Harry. "But his expression was terrible."

"Like he wanted you." agreed Hushluck. "He's a bad man. I'd kill him meself if it wasn't against the law."

"Hey, Em."

I looked past Hushluck to see Draco walking over. He faltered when he saw our expressions. "Erm... what just happened?"

"Nothing, sweetie, we're fine." I said hurriedly.

"Hunter happened." Hushluck said, missing my hint.

Draco nodded understandingly. "What's he done now?"

"Well, you know, first thing he did was bet ten Galleons Ember's kid was mine." said Harry casually.

"Which isn't true." I said quickly.

"Then he brutally stabbed Ricky's sexuality." Hushluck said, gesturing to Troy.

"And then he pawed your wife. Quite disgusting, really." said Troy.

Draco had seemed to be getting more irked with each revelation, but when it came Troy's turn, he visibly flinched. "_What_?"

"Relax, it was nothing serious." I said.

"He almost licked her." Troy put in.

"Troy, _please_." I said impatiently. "Look, Draco, I'm fine, no harm done, and Hunters' getting chewed out in Robards' office for it. How's about we go have lunch, yeah?"

"Em-"

"_Lunch_. Harry, I'll be back to finish my paperwork later." I said, practically shoving Draco out of the office.


	13. Chapter 13

"Er... Draco?"

I raised my head from my arms, looking up at Terry. "Yes?"

He looked concerned. "Erm... maybe you should take off."

"No," I said, straightening up and starting to go through my papers again. I'd been writing something when I fell asleep, though for the life of me I couldn't remember what it was. "No, Marcus wants this by Monday, so I have to get it done."

"Draco, you've got three more days." he protested. "Taking half a day off won't kill you. Not doing it might."

"Can't. I have things I need to do." I said.

He rolled his eyes. "_Please_ tell me this whole Hunter business isn't keeping you up at night."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, tossing some papers onto the desk. "The man didn't get fired, which means he's still far closer to Em than I'd like. What if he does... something?"

"Then he'll lose a testicle." said Terry, leaning wearily against the divider between our desks. "Draco, mate, listen to yourself. You know Em. She's not gonna let some jumped-up bloke touch her without him getting serious harm done to him. Plus, she's got Harry and the other Aurors looking out for her, which, as I've heard, has been intensified due to her big news."

I sighed. "I just... I feel like I _have_ to be near her all the time, you know? She always manages to get into the worst kinds of trouble. I don't think she really understands she needs to be careful. She's got another person's safety in her hands, now."

"She is a wild one." Terry agreed. "Look, when Lizzie was pregnant, it was hard for her to adjust at first, but she came around."

"Yes, but the difference between my wife and yours is that mine likes to take nose-dives into danger." I said hopelessly. "It's been keeping me up at night. She's just not careful. I had another argument with her about it this morning."

"Then make it clear." said Terry. "I don't care how mad she gets. She needs to understand. Ban her from going to work, for all I care. This really isn't about her anymore."

I shook my head. "Fine. I'll try it." I said, grabbing my coat as I headed out. "If I don't come in tomorrow, it's because I'm dead."

**. . .**

I sat on the couch by the fire, retuning my guitar, when the door opened. I looked up to see a drenched Ember step into the house, looking devastated. I immediately jumped up and went to her, but the second I put my arms around her slumped shoulders, she began sobbing into my chest. "Ember, what is it?" I asked, alarmed. "Are you hurt? What happened? You're soaking wet! Did you walk here?"

"I... I didn't... I couldn't..." She was gripping my shirt now, and we both sank to the floor. I held her as she cried, wondering what could possibly have happened to make her like this. My mind instantly jumped to the worst case scenario, and I held her tighter.

"Ember... Did something happen... to the baby?" I asked, pulling back slightly so I could look at her face.

She shook her head. "N-no, it... happened at work, I..." It seemed she was having trouble even forming a sentence. If it wasn't the baby, what could have happened to upset her like this? Something terrible, obviously, but what?

She was now curled up against me as we sat on the floor. She was still crying, but not quite as hard. "There was a raid... The Harbingers... We went to stop them, but... Troy... Troy got in the way... I tried to stop him..."

From this small bit of information, I could form an idea of what happened. When they went to deal with the Harbingers, Troy must have gotten hurt, or worse. Probably the latter. "Sh... it's not your fault." I whispered, rocking her back and forth. "It happens in the Auror business... it's not your fault..."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered through a new wave of sobs. "This morning, I – I didn't m-mean what I said."

"Shh..." I whispered. "Forget it. As long as you're safe."

"He's dead, Draco," she cried. "He's dead, and I could have stopped it."

I hugged her tighter. "You need rest. Come on, let's get you to bed." Since she seemed in no condition to stand on her own, I lifted her up and carried her back to the room. She seemed to have cried herself out, and was falling asleep as I tucked her in. I kissed her forehead, then left the room to sit on the couch again. I was too awake to sleep now. I stared into the fire, burning to know the details of what happened. I figured one other person would know.

Picking up the Muggle phone, I dialed the number.

"Hello?" said Harry's voice, sounding tired.

"Harry? It's Draco." I said, still feeling a bit awkward talking to the boy I'd hated for about six and a half years straight.

"Yeah? What's going on?" he asked.

I sighed. "Ember just got home."

There was silence from the other end. Then, "I'll be over in a moment."

I heard a click, then nothing. I put the phone down and sighed. A moment later, Harry came stepping out of the fireplace, looking exhausted. "Ma-Draco." he said, stumbling a bit on the name. Even after these past years, sometimes we still had a hard time adjusting. "Where is she?"

"She's asleep." I said, collapsing onto the couch. "What happened, Harry? She came in soaking wet and crying uncontrollably."

He ran a hand through his hair, sitting next to me. "Something happened at work... You know those Dark wizards we've been going after? The Harbingers?" I nodded. "They were attacking a Muggle neighborhood. A group of us, me, Em, Troy, and Hushluck, went after them. We got there, and they scattered, so we started searching the place. Em thought she saw a group of them in an alley, so she and Troy went to look. We heard fighting, and Ember screamed, but when Hushluck and I got there... It was already too late. She was fighting off the last three wizards while Troy... You get the picture."

My shoulders slumped as I realized what she'd gone through that day. She might have died... and I would never have apologized for the fight. "Is she even allowed to be doing this?" I asked, burying my face in my hands. "I mean, won't it affect the baby?"

I felt him shrug. "What she's supposed to do and what she does do are two different things. She never wanted a desk job, so if we give her one, she'll be even harder to handle."

I sighed. "Thanks, Harry. You can go home now, if you want."

I heard him get up and go back to the fire, heard the flames roar for a few seconds, then it went back to crackling quietly. I sat alone on the couch for a long time, somewhere in that irritating place between sleeping and waking. I needed to talk to her, before something worse happened.

**. . .**

**I'm evil, I know. I'm a vile human being. How could I kill off Troy when you were all beginning to love him? Trust me, folks, it was a hard decision to make. I was even considering it being someone else, but Troy worked for the plot. I'm sorry! *Spoiler alert* It felt like when J.K. Rowling killed Fred when I was writing it!**


	14. Chapter 14

It took a while for me to become fully awake. I felt awful, tired, and sore, and I was uncomfortably aware that I'd slept in my wet clothes last night. But I finally opened my eyes, curled into a ball on the bed. That's when I saw Draco, fully dressed and leaning against the door frame. He just looked at me for a long moment, tenderness and slight pity in his eyes. "We're not going to fight anymore." he said quietly.

I looked at him. "What?"

He shrugged. "Every time you go out into the field after we fight, you're closer to death than any other day. Also, Terry told me not to stress you out. So, from here on out, it's going to be damn peaceful between us."

I curled tighter into my ball. "How?"

"Ferdinand."

I peeked at him through the arms I'd wrapped about my knees in front of my face. "What the _hell_ is Ferdinand?"

"The word we're going to say if one of us notices we're fighting." he said. "If one of us says it, we're not allowed to speak for the next five minutes, no matter what."

"But what if it's important?"

"Then it can be discussed peacefully." he answered. "After five minutes."

I groaned. "Fine... Can you make me some tea?"

I heard him chuckle slightly. "Yes, darling."

**. . .**

The atmosphere in the Auror offices on Monday was somber, at best. We'd lost a good man, and one of many people's dear friends. Everyone was pitching in to help pay the funeral expenses.

I was barely holding it together. He'd died because of me. No one else knew what happened in that alley. He'd seen the Harbingers and told me to go left. But I didn't see the fourth wizard, so I got boxed in and was unable to help Troy when he needed me. It was a rookie mistake. Something I should have grown out of a long time ago.

Harry found me leaning against the wall with a mug of hot coffee in my hands, staring into space. "Em," he said quietly, looking as though he was unsure how to approach me. "Look, we've been over this a million times, you didn't kill him." I stayed silent, so he went on. "And, you know, depression isn't good for unborn children. They could become genetically depressed, or something."

I looked at him, eyes raw from the tears. "Don't bring it up. Please, don't."

"Come _on_, Ember," he said exasperatedly. "You've already decided you're going through with it. I don't see why you keep getting worked up-"

"I said," I growled, giving him a dark look. "Don't. Bring. It. Up."

He stared right back. "Listen to me, Ember. People die and get hurt in this job. That's why we signed a waver. So if you think for _one second_ that I'm going to let you feel sorry for yourself, think again. You're my best friend. Therefore, you're not getting away with anything."

I looked at him, then, unexpectedly, my eyes filled with tears. His gaze softened, and he took me into his arms, holding me close. "It's alright, just let it out. Come, on, you're safe."

"Damn hormones." I sniffled, causing him to chuckle. "Please don't tell Draco about this. He'd never let me leave the house again."

"What are friends for?" he asked.

**. . .**

**Good gravy, this is a short chapter. My bad, y'all, but there was nothing more on this subject, so one we move to Draco's side of things! Btw, the whole Ferdinand thing is something we used at band camp for when someone said something that might offend you. It really works!**


	15. Chapter 15

**I have no idea what the titles for esteemed government peoples are in England. HELP ME if you are able.**

**. . .**

I walked into the office on Tuesday, fully refreshed. Ember and I hadn't argued once since I proposed the "Ferdinand" plan, so I'd gotten a good night's sleep every night since then. Also, I could've been feeling rejuvenated due to my excitement. Today, Ember would go in for her appointment to know the gender of our baby. She seemed nervous when she left, but I figured she'd be alright.

"What's this, then?" asked O'Hara just after I finished telling Terry the news. "Which do you want?"

"I don't know. I've always sort of wanted a son." I said happily. "I'm just excited that I get to know, at last!"

"Ha! Seven Sickles says it's a boy." he laughed.

"Do I hear the sound of coins?" called another reporter, Flannigan. "I say eight Sickles it'll be a girl!"

Soon, most of the male employees of the _Prophet_ were gathered around my desk, throwing money in. I backed up, astonished. "Are... Are you betting on the gender of my offspring?"

"'Course we are!" O'Hara laughed, clapping me on the back.

Terry chuckled at my horrified expression. "Relax, mate, it's tradition. Most of the money gets donated to Mungo's, anyhow. You know, a good cause."

"Don't you people have work to do?" called Travence, Marcus' second-in-command. He heard what the bets were for, then smirked. "Oh, alright. Two Sickles on a girl."

"That's the spirit, Travence!" someone called.

He shook his head. "Anyway, Malfoy, Anderlind is waiting in the empty office for you to interview. Top priority."

My grin faded. "Bloody, hell, I forgot." I groaned, passing a hand over my face.

"Go get 'im, Draco." said Terry, thumping me on the back as I headed to the empty office.

When I got there, it was not Anderlind waiting for me, but a different man. "Who are you?" I asked warily.

"I'm Mr. Anderlind's secretary, and, as such, his right hand man." said the man in formal robes. "He was unable to make it to the interview today."

I folded my arms. "Why? What's he so busy with?"

"Nothing to concern one such as yourself." said the secretary. "You are, after all, merely a reporter. If I told you, you would most likely write some twisted story about how my employer is evil."

I wanted to scowl, but I contained myself. _This is going to be a long one_, I thought, sliding into the chair across from the man. He had a sort of tone which was associated with snooty, egotistical British men commonly found among the wealthy. He reeked of expensive cologne, and his hair had been oiled so it stayed just so. "Fine, Mr..."

"Berringworth." he said stiffly.

"Mr. Berringworth." I said with forced calm. "Then let's get started with the interview. Tell me about your employer."

"He is a good man who only seeks to help-"

"Mr. Berringworth, I don't think you understand." I said, leaning forward. "I asked for you to tell me _about_ your employer, not feed me your campaign slogan."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, sounding offended.

"You know what I'm talking about." I leaned back in my chair. "I don't want to hear that he's the Messiah. Tell me what he's struggling with, what his plans are."

"Mr. Malfoy, I must protest-"

"Why?" I asked harshly.

"This is not an interview!" he sniffed.

"Oh, isn't it?" I was hardly keeping the smirk off my face. "I'm asking you questions about a topic, which I will later write about. I'm seeking information for a story made for publishing. Please, tell me that this is not an interview."

"It's completely biased!" he exclaimed.

"Fine. Here's a good, _factual_ question. What's the first thing Anderlind plans to do once he becomes Minister?"

Berringworth lifted his nose. "To ban the Muggle Studies class, of course."

I admit, I was totally taken aback. "What?" I said, so surprised I was almost laughing. "Ban Muggle Studies? What for?"

"They are not necessary." he explained condescendingly. "We do not associate with Muggles, nor do we need them for anything. They are merely rejects of nature not blessed with the gift of magic. There is no reason to know about them."

"But what about research, and future learning?" I asked, incredulous.

"The time and money will be put to better use in improving the field of medicine and magic."

"And how will we learn what to do to seem normal to Muggles?"

Berringworth laughed, an annoying sound. "My dear Mr. Malfoy, why should _we_ seem normal to _them_? It should be the other way around! We are, after all, the dominant arm of the species."

I slammed my fist on the table. "How can you be so thick as to not see that they have rights, too?"

"Mr. Malfoy, I was under the impression that I came here for an interview, not a political debate." he sniffed.

I could have roared with frustration, and soon I was on my feet, leaning across the table. "This _is_ an interview! I _have_ to write the article so it makes sense! What you're doing is daft, and people will want to know the reasons for it!"

"That sounded quite like an opinion, my dear boy. Are you a reporter who seeks the factual truth or not?"

"All right, then," I growled, tired of this game. "Fact: You want to take away Muggle Studies for your own gain. Fact: Taking away Muggle Studies will lead to ignorance to the majority of the human race. Fact: If wizards are ignorant, there's no telling what sort of destruction there will be!"

"Boy, you will learn to hold your tongue in the presence of superiors!" he snapped, standing so he was a bit taller than my slightly-bent figure.

"Yeah? How superior will you be when... when..." Suddenly, dizziness overcame me, and I had to sit down, holding my head.

Berringworth smirked above me. "It seems Investigative Journalism is a bit much for you, Mr. Malfoy." he said, snapping his briefcase shut. "Perhaps you should cool off if you don't wish for your fire to be completely doused. Good day, sir." With that, he left the office, leaving me to sit in the chair as the world slowly righted itself.

"'Cool off if you don't wish your fire to be completely doused'," I mocked. "What the bloody hell does that mean?" I stood and had just left to office when my cell phone rang (Ember and I used Muggle cell phones for personal use when a Patronus was too public). "Hello?" I said into the device.

"Draco?" came Ember's voice.

It was at this moment I became very aware of a number of people watching me very closely. I turned, covering the mouthpiece. "Back off, will you? This is private!" I walked back into the empty office and closed the door. "Sorry. Tell me everything. How did it go? What did you find out?"

**. . .**

Terry watched his friend walk into the office. The rest of the workers watched avidly through the big window. The boy was running his hand nervously through his blond hair, pacing back and forth.

"I always like watching the younger ones." chuckled Flannigan. "It's fun to see their expressions."

"Say, Terry, you know him best." said an editor. "You know what he's sayin'?"

"I can't read lips, Joseph." he said. "We'll just have to wait."

O'Hara snorted. "Looks like the kid's gonna jump out of his skin."

Terry had to agree, as the young reporter seemed to be getting more and more animated as he spoke. Suddenly, he stopped, flipped the phone shut, and just stood for a moment, looking stunned. Everyone was silent as they waited for him to come out.

The second he walked through the door, Faban was the first to speak. "So, Malfoy, what is it? Is it a girl?"

There was a pause. Then he nodded mutely. There was much laughter and sounds of disappointment as armfuls of Galleons were scooped up. Terry patted him on the back. "S'all right, mate. Knew you wanted a boy."

"Actually..."

Everyone paused, looking at him confusedly. He was still staring blankly at the carpet a few feet away, looking stunned. "It's a boy, too."

**. . .**

Dead silence. Then, "Twins! Haha, nobody bet on _that_ one, eh, Flannigan?" guffawed Faban.

"Here, mate, you're going to need this more than us!" O'Hara said, laughing heartily as he shoved the money to the other side of the desk. Terry pulled out the chair for me to collapse in. "Think of it, mate. Twice the fun!" he said. "I bet you the girl's going to be a fiery red-head like her mum."

Suddenly, my heart sank just a little. _Fiery... Fire... "If you don't wish your _fire_ to be completely doused."_

_Bloody hell_, I though, running a hand through my hair. _There's a nightmare being made here_.

**. . . **

"Em, hey!" said Harry upon my entrance to the office. "How'd it go?"

"I – I..." I was unable to get the words out. Nothing could describe how awful that appointment had been. At least Dr. Ramsey was kind enough to put up with me.

"Well, come on. Boy or girl?" he asked, playing with an old toy Snitch.

"Both." I whispered.

He looked over at me, grinning hugely. "Twins? What? Wow, that's-" He took one look at my expression and his smile immediately faded.

"No, Harry, not great." I said. "Not great. _I can't do twins_! I didn't even want _one_!"

"Em, just relax-"

"I mean, what was I thinking? Why the bloody hell did I decide to keep them, anyway? I can't do this, there's no way! What if I kill them on accident?"

"Ember, calm down." Harry said firmly. "You decided to keep them for Draco's sake, remember?"

I thought about that for a moment and calmed down a little. "Right... because he's _so_ happy..."

"Exactly." he said. "And don't worry. You're not going to accidentally kill your own kids. And who knows? You _might_ just learn to love them."


	16. Chapter 16

A couple months after my intense interview with Berringworth, I sat at my desk, though this time I was in a foul mood. I wasn't so much angry as extremely confused. I'd been getting odd dizzy spells lately, and I wasn't sure what it was about. Was I becoming sick? And if I was, with what? Why would I be dizzy all the time? I hadn't told Ember anything. She seemed to be getting more and more stressed about this whole baby thing. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know what to do.

At least she was being smart now. About a month ago, she'd asked Hushluck to be her replacement in the field. She'd still go to work, just not to do the dangerous stuff. This added to her agitation, but at least nothing would go wrong. She also worked late to make up for not doing half her job, which I wasn't happy about, but I decided a compromise was being made here.

"Hey, happy birthday, mate." said Terry, dropping a small parcel onto my desk.

I looked over at it wearily, having forgotten it was my birthday. "Oh... right."

Terry sat down, grinning at me. "What? Don't tell me you forgot."

"I've been a little busy lately." I said, beginning to gather some papers.

"Right, right. This whole 'Anderlind' thing's got to be rough." he said understandingly.

"Which reminds me, I've got an interview with him in..." I checked my watch. "Now."

"Is it really him this time?"

"Merlin, I hope so." I said, heading to the empty office. Suddenly, just as I was walking through the door, something caught my eye. Just inside my vision, I could have sworn I saw the woman with the yellow eyes standing off to the side, watching me. Before I could take another look, though, I was inside the office, where Anderlind awaited me, casually flicking some lint off his formal robes.

"About time." he said.

I halted, the room suddenly beginning to spin. "I'm sorry, I... I-" Then I was falling. Or maybe the world was turning too fast. Or the floor moved to where it shouldn't have been. Any way you put it, I was down and out.

**. . .**

"Is he okay?"

"Look, gents, back off, give him some air."

"Did anybody see what happened? Anybody?"

"Hey, hey, wait a sec, he's waking up!"

I groaned, blinking at the bright light shining in my face. "_Knox_," someone muttered, and the light was gone. I blinked a few more times, then began to make out faces. Terry, Faban, O'Hara, and several other employees were all leaning over me, looking concerned. "Terry?" I said blearily.

"Glad you're with the living, mate." he said, taking my arm and pulling me upright.

"What happened?" I asked, rubbing my head.

"Dunno. You went to interview Anderlind, and suddenly you were out cold." he answered.

I looked around as people started to clear. "Where is he?"

"Took off. Called for help after you passed out, then must have Apperated or something." he said.

"Dammit!" I swore. "I finally get an interview with the man..."

"Er, yeah. Marcus says you need to take the rest of the day off." said Terry. "No arguments."

I breathed out heavily, grabbing my jacket. "Fine. Tell him I'll have the next article finished by tomorrow."

"Draco,"

"Yeah?"

He looked at me sternly. "Go home, and _sleep_."

I rolled my eyes. "I know."

**. . .**

When I got home, Ember was walking about the kitchen, making something. She was wearing my _A is for Auror_ sweatshirt, which made the curve of her belly just visible. She looked up as I walked in, looking startled. "Draco? What are you doing home so early?"

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling dead tired as I headed towards the living room. "Wasn't feeling well. What about you?"

"Oh, well, erm, Draco, wait!" she called, hurrying into the living room and blocking my path.

I looked down at her, surprised. "Er... why?"

"Well, I..." She trailed off, folding her arms above her belly and putting a hand to her forehead. "You weren't supposed to be home this early."

"What are you hiding?" I asked suspiciously.

"Ember, sweetheart, who's that you're talking to?"

I looked over Ember's shoulder and it felt like my heart stopped.

**. . .**

**Cliffhanger! Muahahahaha! Haven't done one yet for this story (at least, not an intentional one). I'm sure you all dislike this. But the next chapter's coming tomorrow, I promise!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Two chapters? From Draco's point of view? _In a row_? Good gravy, what have I become? Actually, you're probably going to see a lot more from Draco than Ember in the near future, since he has the good parts of the story. And, yes, sorry, but, it does involve a teeny bit of politics.**

**. . .**

"Draco, sit down." Ember said hurriedly, catching me as I began to fall, but not with dizziness this time. I stared blankly at the floor as she held me, sitting beside me on the couch. "I'm sorry, I meant to prepare him." she said.

"It's quite alright, dear." said a quiet voice. "Draco, sweetie... are you okay?"

I looked up, tears stinging my eyes as I took in her visage. The gaunt face, the thin frame. How _old_ she seemed since last I saw her. "M – mum?" I said in a choked voice.

"Happy birthday, dear." she said, reaching over to hug me.

I couldn't help it. I completely broke down in her arms. I hadn't seen her in years, and thought I wouldn't see her again. There was no present that could beat this one.

"Mum... h-how-"

"You're wife is to thank, I think." she said, tears in her own eyes.

I looked back at Ember, who was politely averting her gaze. I took her hand, pulling her closer. "You did this?" I asked, sniffling a little.

She squeezed my hand. "I didn't think she deserved to be in Azkaban, anyway."

"Ember, you – you don't understand, I-"

"Don't mention it." she said, shifting uncomfortably. "I have to go check on dinner."

I turned to Mother after Ember left, and she took my face in her hands. "She's just a little nervous, sweetie. She wanted everything to go perfectly."

"That doesn't sound like her." I said, chuckling weakly. "Normally she likes chaos."

"Not for her, dear, for you."

I had that overwhelming sense of being overwhelmed again. "What the hell did she have to do to get you out of there?"

"I'm not sure." she admitted. "I just know she had to call in a lot of favors. But look at you! You're so grow up! You've got a family on the way! Twins, I hear!"

I sniffled. "Yeah... I – It's great to see you, Mum."

"It's good to see you, too, darling." she said quietly, kissing my forehead.

**. . .**

Ember made a sumptuous meal of turkey and mashed potatoes for my birthday dinner, and Mother stayed for my opening of presents afterward. But she had to leave once we'd had after-dinner tea. Along with getting my mother out of prison, Ember had also managed to get the manor back in the Malfoy name, so that's where she'd live. A small part of the fortune had been released, as well, so she could get along on her own. It was a mildly tearful goodbye, but this time, I knew I'd be seeing her again.

Once everything had settled down, I sat next to Ember on the couch, clutching another warm mug of tea in my hands. "You know... That was the best birthday present ever." I said, kissing her on the cheek.

She smiled a little. "I'm glad. I thought it was the perfect thing to get you for your birthday."

I pulled her close to me. "It was. Nothing could have been better."

She leaned her head against my shoulder, and, for a while, we just sat watching the fire.

"What about names?" I asked after a moment.

She looked at me. "What?"

"What are we going to name the twins?" I asked.

"I don't know. Haven't given it much thought, really." she said.

I shifted a little. "Well, since there's two, I suppose we should each get to name one, then."

"I suppose."

"I would like to name the girl."

She looked at me, eyebrow raised. "I thought you'd want to name the boy."

I shrugged. "I don't know... I figured you'd have a better name for him than me. We can both think about it, and if we have ideas, we can decide whether we like them or not."

We were both lost in thought for so long, I was a little startled when Ember suddenly moved. "I think it's about time for bed." she said, getting off the couch with some difficulty. I stretched a little while she walked back to the kitchen with our cups. Today had been an odd day in terms of emotion. So many ups and downs-

There was a crash from the kitchen. I was on my feet and running there barely seconds after I heard it. When I got to the doorway, I saw Ember by the sink, clutching her stomach with the shattered remains of a mug at her feet. "Em!" I exclaimed, going to her. "What-"

"I – I don't know," she said, turning towards me to show she was okay. She looked a little freaked out. "I just... I was rinsing out the cup and... it felt weird, like..."

I felt a grin slowly sliding up my face. "One of them kicked, didn't it?" I asked.

She looked at me. "I – I don't know, it-"

I placed one of my hands on her stomach, quieting her with a look. For a moment, we both stood in silence, waiting.

Then I felt it. The tiny little tap against my hand, proof that there was life in there. I smiled hugely. "Finally..."

"I didn't even think they would anymore." she said in a hushed voice, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

The babies hadn't started moving when Dr. Ramsey said they should. A week or two had gone by with nothing, and we'd become worried. But now... I didn't need to worry about a thing.

Unless, of course, you count the woman with the yellow eyes.

**. . .**

**I just want to let everyone know, springing Narcissa from Azkaban was totally xXMiss Alec VolturiXx 's idea. I hadn't even thought about it until she reviewed. Safe to say, I've been planning this one a while. I _do _read every review, so if any of you have any requests or ideas, feel free to share them. There's always room for more in my stories! **


	18. Chapter 18

It was cold in the office.

That was all I could concentrate on. Paperwork was a lousy thing to do, especially if you'd been doing it for weeks. You'd think there'd be less, but more came every day. And Hunter only made things worse; going on about all the missions he was having while I was stuck in the building. I'd snapped three quills today alone just because of a snide comment about going against a group of ten Harbingers.

To make things even better, Harry was out with Hushluck and a group of four Aurors. I had virtually no one to talk to, besides Ron, who was also doing a mountain of paperwork he'd been neglecting.

Suddenly, I heard shouts of joy and whoops of laughter coming from the doorway. I turned and saw Harry bursting into the office, Hushluck beside him and the others following. They all had looks of triumph on their faces, as well as blood. "Harry, what's going on?" I asked, standing.

He grabbed my shoulders and kissed me in a sort of "I'm so happy I can't contain it" sort of way. "We got one!" he crowed. "We got one of the Harbingers!"

"The net worked?" I asked, referring to the anti-magic net the Department of Magical Experimentation had developed for us.

"It worked, Em! It worked!" he cheered, almost jumping up and down. "Hushluck's going to interrogate him now! Yes!"

I sat back down as other Aurors came up and began patting the team on the back. Of all the things that had happened to get me angry lately, this was the last straw. I couldn't believe it. The most major event to occur since I'd started working as an Auror, and I wasn't a part of it. I was almost boiling with rage inside, aching for a chance to go back out into the field. I couldn't take the atmosphere any longer. After a while, I went to Robards' office to ask if I could take the rest of the day off.

**. . .**

**Draco**

I stood by the coffee maker, waiting for it to be done brewing. Just as I was mixing cream in, I heard the door to the break room click shut. I turned, and there was the woman with the yellow eyes. I froze, every nerve on red alert.

"I didn't mean to startle you." she said quietly.

"What do you want?" I asked.

She looked at me. "Don't drink the coffee."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why?"

"Just don't. It weakens you." She avoided looking directly at me, seeming uncomfortable. "I was sent to tell you my employer didn't like your latest article."

"What? About Muggle rights? Like I give a rat's arse. He can go-"

"Look, don't shoot the messenger." she said, putting her hands up. I couldn't help but notice that she was distinctly less confident than last time. "I just... I think you should heed the warnings."

I snorted. "Not bloody likely."

"I'm serious." she said. "He's been watching you, trying to make sure you don't get out of line. He's not just going to hurt you, but the people around you, too. And... Well, you seem like a decent sort, and I don't want that to happen."

"Why are you helping me? Or... rather, why are you _acting_ like you're helping me?" I asked.

"I just told you, I like you. I don't think you deserve to get hurt."

I leaned towards her. "Then why don't you cut your losses and leave your boss?"

She sighed. "It's more complicated than you think, Draco. I may like you, but that doesn't mean I'm against the message of the Harbingers. Muggles don't deserve the rights they have. I want to help make sure they don't get those rights."

"You're daft if you think I'm actually going to believe you." I told her.

She threw her hands into the air in irritation. "Fine. Don't listen to me. Great. But when something terrible happens, don't say I didn't try to help." And with that, she was gone. Nothing left but a pile of clothes.

I looked down at the mug of coffee in my hand, then dumped it out in the nearest plant as I left the break room. The first thing that happened after that was Travence coming up to me. "Maloy, we've got a story for you."

"Please, I'm in need of something to use up some energy." I said.

"Good, 'cause this is a big one. Anderlind was found, not only attending an anti-Muggle rally, but also speaking at it."

I felt horrible for it, but I couldn't keep the smirk off my face. "Does Marcus want Anderlind served medium, or well done?"

He mirrored my grin. "Let her rip, Malfoy."

**. . .**

I came home in a considerably better mood to find that Ember was not. She was fuming on the couch when I came into the living room. "Em, darling, what happened?" I asked carefully.

"Oh, nothing, just that one of the Harbingers was captured today. _And I wasn't there_!" she exclaimed. "All because of these _stupid_ kids!"

I was completely taken aback. "Em, don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"No, I don't!" she snapped, standing. "I don't even _want_ them! I never did!"

I stared at her, completely at a loss for what to say. This could just be raging hormones, but, somehow, I didn't think so. "And... when, exactly, were you going to tell me this?" I asked quietly.

"I wasn't." she said angrily. "But now that the cat's out of the bag, I might as well continue! Draco, I didn't want kids! I didn't want them because everything would change, and I _hated_ to think about that! But, of course, when I tell _you_ about it, you're over the moon! What was I supposed to do? So now I'm stuck with these... these... _parasites_ sucking the life out of me every single day because of _one selfless decision_! I've had to give up _everything I am_ because of this!"

For some reason, I felt guilty. I don't know why, and I'm not sure how, but for some reason I figured that I had something to do with her being upset. And I had no idea what to do. What did you say to someone who didn't want their own kids? I supposed, in every relationship, compromises had to be made.

I dropped my coat and put my bag on the table. "Fine." I said quietly. "I'll schedule an abortion tomorrow."

She stared at me. "What?"

I looked at her, pain filling my heart. "If you don't think you can do this, I won't make you. It's not too late. I just... I just wish you would have told me sooner. So I wouldn't have spent all this time... Look, just... go to bed. I'll take care of everything tomorrow."

My heart felt hollow as I walked into the bathroom to shower. I couldn't believe I'd just made that decision. But, maybe, we could try again in the future. Maybe when she was ready.

**. . .**

**Ember, you b****, making your loving, doting, hawt husband kill his own kids. What's your issue? **

**But, hey, don't be too hard on her. She's not really ready for this, and she's not parenty material, if you haven't noticed. Maybe she can finally get back to doing what she loves without the "parasites" holding her back...**

**Nope. Still kinda hate her.**


	19. Chapter 19

The morning seemed to tick by at an odd pace. Sometimes, everything was going too fast, other times it was excruciatingly slow. Finally, lunch break came around, and I managed to drag myself out of my desk chair.

"Hey, Draco, you alright, mate?" asked Terry, walking beside me as I exited the _Prophet_ building. "I've never seen you look this out of it."

"I don't know, Terry." I sighed. "Em... she doesn't actually want the kids."

I heard him suck in a breath. "Oh... Merlin, Draco, I – I'm sorry. What did you tell her?"

I shook my head. "I told her I'd schedule an abortion today. That we could try again when she was ready."

"Draco, no." he said forcefully. "That is _not_ the way to handle this. After the twins are born, she'll see they're not that bad. I'm telling you, don't do this."

"What _am_ I supposed to do, Terry?" I asked, rounding a corner. "What if we really aren't ready? Maybe it's for the best."

"_Killing_ is never for the best. And I'm beginning to think that's something Aurors have never learned."

"Funny you mentioned that." said a voice from the alley next to us. I turned and was startled to see a group of witches and wizards huddled around a burning rubbish bin. They looked fairly harmless. And homeless.

Suddenly, a familiar woman detached herself from the group and came over to me, sadness in her yellow eyes. "I'm sorry." she murmured, kissing me on the lips.

"Wha-"

"_ADMORDEO_!"

Suddenly, I was on the ground, a cold, numb feeling spreading through my body. Faintly, as though from a distance, I could hear Terry calling my name, then calling for help. I could feel him grabbing my shoulders, hear him yelling at me. I looked down, dazed. So much blood... how could there be so much blood?

And then the pain set in... like my entire torso was being stabbed simultaneously. Not like the Cruciatus Curse. Like I had really been stabbed by a hundred knives. I gritted my teeth against the feeling. So much pain, so much blood...

**. . .**

**Ember**

I burst into Saint Mungo's, Harry at my heels. Going as fast as I could with the extra weight on me, I slammed into the welcome desk, where a startled witch sat. "Draco Malfoy! Room number! Now!" I snapped.

"Ember, hang on," said Harry, sliding up beside me.

"Twenty-seven B." said the witch timidly. "Down the hall to your left."

"Thanks." I said, slapping the desk before taking off again. _Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please, God, don't be dead_.

I slid to a stop right outside the room. I almost collapsed when I saw him laying in the bed. My hands flew to my mouth as I took in his pale complexion and weak form. "No... Oh, God..."

I heard Harry suck in a breath behind me, and I turned and buried my face in his chest. He hugged me, but I knew he couldn't take his eyes off the sight of the broken man in the bed.

"He wasn't even in the danger zone." I sobbed. "How... why were they..."

"Shh," said Harry, rubbing my back. "He'll be alright. Mungo's is the best."

"But he looks so... so... Dead." I whispered, turning to look at my husband.

"He'll be alright. He'll be fine."

"Where is he? Where is my son?" called a voice. I looked up to see my mother-in-law clinging to the door frame, looking faint. "How... how could this have happened?" she asked, hand on her chest.

"He was walking by an alley." said Harry as though talking past a lump in his throat. "There were Harbingers there, disguised. That's what I was told, at least."

She looked at me, her eyes full of worry. "Ember, dear, you must be a wreck!" she exclaimed, pulling me into her arms. "Come here... He'll be alright, he's been through hell and back."

Somehow, I couldn't believe her. I never cried. Ever. And, so far, even with my raging hormones, I'd only cried three times in the past months. But here I was, bawling for the man in the bed, whose breaths were most certainly numbered.

**. . .**

A few hours later, I was sitting by Draco's bedside, almost drifting off in the chair. I'd been waiting and waiting, but he never woke up.

I jerked awake as someone brushed my arm. I looked up and saw one of the Healers checking something on Draco. She looked at me apologetically. "Sorry," she whispered. "Didn't mean to wake you."

I shook my head, shifting to get more comfortable. "It's alright. How is he?"

"Much the same, I'm afraid." she said sadly.

"And exactly how is that?"

She looked at me. "There was a sort of Dark magic used on him. No one knows what it was. All we can say is that it was a bit worse than the Sectumsempra curse we've seen. This spell cuts deeper."

There was only a dull pain that hit my heart as I looked at him. I was too exhausted for more. "And the bleeding won't stop?" I asked.

"'fraid not." she said. "I'm sorry. We're doing all we can."

"I understand." I said as she left.

Narcissa Malfoy passed the Healer on her way in. She gave me a sort of exasperated, worried look. "Ember, dear, won't you go home?"

I shrugged. "Wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

"Not just for you." she said, handing me a cup of tea.

I looked down at my swollen belly, my mental battle starting again. Ever since I got to the hospital, I'd been trying to decide whether or not I'd keep the twins. When he'd suggested the abortion, I'd lost my resolve. How could I kill something so defenseless?

Then again, I didn't actually want them in the first place. They were a nuisance, nothing more. What would I care?

Around and around I went. I just didn't have the heart to tell my mother-in-law.

That's when Ron and Hermione walked in, along with Ginny, who held baby James.

"We came as soon as we heard." said Ron, putting a hand on my shoulder. "How is he?"

"Not good." I said quietly. "Apparently, it's worse than Sectumsempra."

James whimpered as Ginny placed a hand on Draco's. She smiled bitterly, looking down at him. "I feel like I'm back in fourth year, telling him not to move while Snape was healing you." she said softly.

I swallowed hard, remembering how he'd protected me on the snowy backstreet years ago. Could everything end here and now? After all we'd worked for?

**. . .**

**Yep. Draco's gonna die. You knew it would happen. I mean, I killed off Troy, didn't I? I'm thinking about killing the twins, right? You know, Harry might have to go soon... Oh, yeah, and, Ember's still bein' a b**** about her kids, so she's mean. And I guess you could say Draco's bein' a bad boy, kissing other ladies. These two, I'm tellin' you...**

**Sorry this chapter's so late. I had play auditions at my school, and they went until nine. :P But it was fun, and here's the new chapter. Enjoy!**


	20. Chapter 20

One week and two days, I stayed by his side. One week and two days, I hardly ate and barely slept. One week and two days, I fought with myself about the twins. One week and two days, I couldn't convince myself one way or another that Draco would live.

Finally, I made a decision.

It came to me when Terry visited. "You need to go home." he said, giving me a hug.

"I can't." I said. "He... he shouldn't have to wake up alone."

He squeezed my shoulder. "He won't be. There's always someone in here."

I shook my head. "It... it's got to be me. He'd like that..." I looked down at him, taking a breath.

"Still no cure?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head again, tears, always so close to the surface these days, beginning to form. "The only man I knew who could cure this is long dead."

The man in question, I suddenly thought, happened to be practiced in the Dark Arts. Maybe what we'd been trying wasn't working because it wasn't the right sort of answer. Maybe we needed to fight fire with fire. If he was put in here because of Dark magic, maybe he could be cured by it.

Without a word, I grabbed my coat and left, leaving Terry to watch me go curiously.

**. . .**

The door to the interrogation room closed softly behind me. The man in chains looked at me with hatred, simply watching me. We looked at each other for a long time, sizing one another up. Neither of us wanted to speak first.

Finally, "Sit, make yourself comfortable." he said casually. "I'm not going anywhere."

Carefully, I sat in the chair across from him. He wasn't great to look at; thin, scraggly black hair and matching stubble, dark, beady eyes, and a chiseled chin. He was chained to the floor and his wand had been taken away. The chains were also laced with anti-magic potion, so he could do nothing. I was still slightly nervous.

"What do you want?" he asked flatly.

I took a breath. "Your name is Crow, correct?"

He cocked his head. "What's it to you? Don't you have socks to be knitting?"

I let the remark slide. "I need your help."

He laughed harshly. "Yeah? And what makes you think I'd help you? What? You thought you could bat your lashes at me and make me feel sorry for you? I don't think so."

"Listen," I said agitatedly. "You have magic no one knows about yet. That magic has my husband in Saint Mungo's and he'll die if I don't help him soon."

"That's great, sweet cheeks, but I'm still not-"

"I said _listen_!" I snapped. "He's a reporter! What could you people possibly have against him?"

Crow looked at his ragged nails casually. "Dunno. Did he get in the way?"

"He was targeted."

This sparked his interest. "Reporter, you say?" he said. "Well... could it be that irritating journalist what's been putting all our information where everyone can see? If so... well, makes sense that he was attacked. Should've kept his nose out of it."

I found my hatred growing every second. "What do I have to do to get you to help me?"

He leaned back. "Nothing. I won't help you _ever_. Plain and simple. Now, take your little sob story and skedaddle to someone who cares."

"I can get your term shortened." I bargained.

He snorted. "Honey, you're wasting precious time you could be spending with your dear husband. Sounds as though you don't have much left."

"If you'd help me, there'd be more." I growled.

"But I won't help you, so there isn't."

"If you were in my position, wouldn't you want me helping you?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, that stuff doesn't work on me. If you haven't noticed, I really don't have a soul."

"What, are you a Dementor?"

"Get out."

I sighed, leaning heavily against the back of my chair. I stared him down for a moment, thinking hard. "What if... What if I could guarantee your freedom?"

He cocked his head. "I'm listening."

I took a breath. "If you help me... I could free you." _I'm so fired..._

He looked at me for a moment, as though wondering if I was serious. Then he chuckled. "You really are desperate, aren't you, Red?"

I looked him in the eye. "What do you think."

He laughed again. "Alright, fine. I'll heal you're lover dear. But you have to swear you'll let me out."

It took every ounce of willpower I had to say, "I swear."

He grinned a chipped-tooth grin. "Good. Now, show me... Where is this boy of yours?"

**. . .**

It was late when I sneaked Crow into Saint Mungo's. No one was in Draco's room when we got there. He looked down at my husband, seeming almost pleased. "You know... I taught them all this curse. Quite effective, really."

"Great, just heal him." I hissed.

"Alright, alright. Wand." he said, holding out his hand. I gave him his wand, regretting everything even as I did it. He adopted a look of great concentration, muttering words under his breath as he passed the wand over Draco's body. Nothing was obviously different, but Crow straightened up, perspiring slightly. "There. That should do it. Now, for your end." he said, turning to me.

I could have said no. I could have told him I lied. But a Dark wizard who's been cheated is even blacker than a murderer. As promised, I unlocked his chains, after which he immediately vanished with a whispered, "You'll never forget this."

**. . .**

**Oooh, Ember, you in troooouble! God, what is going through that woman's mind? YOU'RE HELPING THE ENEMY, MORON! *Sigh* sometimes, I just don't know about her. **


	21. AN

**Dear Beloved Readers,**

**I am having serious writer's block here, so I apologize for not having updated in forever. My excuse?**

**I'VE BEEN THROWN OFF MY GROOVE!**

**Frustrating, I know. So, I need y'all to help me. Give me ideas, give me feedback on what you think is going on and what it's leading up to. I swear, I have stuff that's gonna happen, but it's more the base for my plot stew than anything. Give me ideas, give me feedback, GIVE ME FOOD! I'm dying over here, seriously!**

**So, yeah, I know y'all were expecting a new chapter, but this is what you're getting. All the more reason to help out, right? I don't care what it is, just throw it in there.**

**~ Lina Cross**


	22. Chapter 21

It started with the Healers noticing. Draco was no longer bleeding constantly. What could have happened? It was sometime during the night, to be sure. So who was the incredible wizard who'd cured the man?

Then the Aurors noticed their prisoner was missing. Had the Harbingers developed a kind of magic to overpower that of the Ministry's once more? Sometime during the night he escaped, that much was certain. So who'd been there to get him out?

The very first person to link the two occurrences was Hunter. And he hit it spot on.

"Hm..." he said one day, leaning against my desk. "You know... Crow escaping and your darling boy miraculously recovering seems oddly... coincidental."

I shoved a paper aside. "What's your point?" I snapped.

"His point, Malfoy," said Robards, coming up behind me. "Is that I need to speak with you."

I looked at him and could instantly tell he knew. His eyes were sad, and his expression was severely reluctant. "I'm sorry to have to do this to ya, Malfoy, but... The law is the law."

I stared at my desk. It was alright. I'd known the risks. I knew what I was getting into.

"Three months suspension." he said quietly. "And it will continue after your maternity leave. The only reason you're arse isn't fired is 'cause I know why you did it, and it saved a life. But, I swear to Merlin, if you _ever_ try somethin' like that again, I'll be handin' your head over to the Minister, got it?" he said, his old fire returning as he ended.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He waved a hand. "Just pack your stuff up. I don't want to see you for a long time, Malfoy."

"Yes, sir."

**. . .**

Instead of going home, I went to St. Mungo's. Just like I had for the past week, I sat by his bed and held his hand.

But tension was running through me. I couldn't sit still, so I got up and began pacing. How long would I have to wait? He was healed, right? So why wasn't he waking up? Would he be in a coma forever? I stared out the window at the fake horizon, wishing there was something I could do. If he never woke up, I'd gotten into serious trouble for nothing.

_Not for nothing,_ I thought firmly. _At least he won't die_.

I shook my head, feeling, once again, that everything I was doing was pointless. He probably wouldn't wake up. I'd be left alone.

"Mmf... Nuugh..."

I turned, seeing him shake his head as he struggled to wake up. Immediately, I was at his side, again, gripping his hand. One eye cracked open, and, a second later, so did the other one. He looked around, looking totally baffled at what he saw.

It took me a moment to realize that tears were running down my face. "Draco?" I whispered.

His gray eyes focused on me. "Em... Ember?" he slurred.

"Oh, my God." I sobbed, ducking my head. "You... I was so sure you wouldn't wake up-"

"The twins." he said suddenly. "You-"

"They're staying." I said quickly, smiling at him. "They're staying, just like you."

He smiled as well as he could for having just woken from a coma. "Good, because I've chosen a name."

**. . .**

**Yes, it's short as all get-out. But, hey, it's something, right? And... Totally bland. Blagh. Sorry, this week has been mean to me cuz I'm in high school now and it's kinda a b!*#. Expect more delays. -_- And more badly written chapters. My creativity has run away, and I have to make due with the kind I found at the thrift store (not a bash on thrift stores, by the way. You find some useful, cheap stuff up in there).**


	23. Chapter 22

**So, this chapter has a _lot_ of gay talk, so if that stuff makes you uncomfortable, you can skip Ember's POV. It's not _that_ important to the plot. It just introduces a new bond and her motherhood skills coming out. But I feel like this subject needs to be broached more and more nowadays.**

**Okay, done preaching.**

**. . .**

**Still Ember**

I was sitting on the couch when the doorbell rang. I looked at the clock, noting that it was half past eleven. I hadn't been expecting anyone...

Cautiously, I opened the door to see Hushluck standing there, holding a bag. "Oh, Hushluck. What are you doing here?" I asked.

He smiled sheepishly. He was a very big man, yet very shy. "I wanted to talk, actually."

"Something wrong?"

"No... and yes. May I come in?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course. Come on in." I stepped out of the way so he could enter. "Go on, have a seat on the couch. Would you like some tea? I have some on the stove..."

"Tea would be nice." he said, looking around. "Lovely house."

"Thank you. Draco and I picked it out. It was forever before we could actually buy it." I said, walking back into the living room with a pair of mugs. "Go on, sit."

We both sat on the couch, and he sipped his tea for a moment. "You know, I'm rather glad you came." I told him. "It's been lonely around here. I've had no one but Merlin to entertain me." As though on cue, the purple shape-shifter leaped into my lap in the form of a little purple cat. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, first, I wanted to give you this." he said, handing me the bag.

I opened it and found several sets of baby clothes, all looking warm and soft. "Hushluck! How thoughtful! You know I can't knit worth beans. It's terrible, actually."

"I just thought you would need them. I _do_ actually know how you knit." he said with a small smile. "And... well, you're the most understanding about this, and well... I just need someone to talk to."

He was looking down at his twiddling fingers, looking uncomfortable. I gave him a gentle look. "What is it?"

"Well, you know Troy... Troy was my best friend." he began. I nodded. Hushluck had taken Troy's death the hardest, short of Troy's husband, Herb. That had been expected. Troy _was_ his partner, after all. "It was because he understood the best." Hushluck continued. "But I figured you were the next best."

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Well... I – I'm like him." he said.

It took me a moment, but then I understood. "Ohhh. Okay. Wait, is Hunter giving you problems? Because if he is, suspension or no suspension, I _will_ go down there and kick his sorry-"

"No, no! It's not that." he said quickly.

"Oh." I said, deflating a little as I stroked a purring Merlin. "Shame. I'd quite like to hit something."

"Well, see, he doesn't know." he admitted. "No one does. I never told anyone except Troy before."

I looked at him with a bit of sympathy. "You just need someone to talk with, don't you?" I asked.

"Troy was always trying to get me to come out, but I just... I just couldn't." he said sadly. "I was too afraid. And Hunter always going off on him helped absolutely nothing. But you really care about us. The people you work with, I mean." he corrected. "So, I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I came to you more often."

"Not at all." I assured him. "I'm always here." I then noticed that, even with his grateful smile, he still looked saddened. "Something's still bothering you, isn't it?"

He sighed heavily, looking into the fireplace. "It's just, sometimes I wonder... Sometimes I wonder why it had to be me. Why I couldn't be straight like everyone else."

I looked at him in surprise. Then, for some reason I do not know, I pulled him close to me and kissed his forehead like a mother would a small child. "There is _nothing_ wrong with you." I told him firmly. "You're _perfect,_ just the way you are."

"Thank you." he said quietly. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Not a soul."

**. . .**

**Draco**

"Hey! Look who's back!" called Terry when I walked into the _Prophet_ offices. "How are you feeling?"

"Loads better." I said, sitting at my desk. "Em said she's keeping the kids. And we have a name for the girl."

"Really?" he asked, leaning against the wall of my cubicle. "What is it?"

"Cecelia Artemis." I said. "Cecelia for my mother. I decided Narcissa was linked to bad thoughts in the majority of the wizarding world."

"Clever." he complimented. "And your son?"

"Em has yet to name him. But I'm sure he'll probably be named after someone important to her." I told him. "Maybe she'll name him Remus. She was quite good friends with Lupin."

"That's true enough. Or maybe she'll name him after you." Terry suggested.

I snorted. "I think there's a better chance of her naming him Terry, no offense."

"Oi!" he laughed. "What makes you think she won't?"

"She just doesn't seem like the sort to name her child 'junior' anything." I said. "I mean, _maybe_. But I highly doubt it."

**. . .**

"I've come up with a name." Ember said at dinner that night.

"Please tell me it's not Terry."

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"No, really." she said. "I had a lot of time to think about it today, and... I want to name him Alastor Troy."

I looked at her quizzically. "Odd name." I said, thinking about it.

She looked down at her food. "It's the names of the two bravest men I've ever known. Short of you." she added hurriedly.

I narrowed my eyes, thinking. Alastor, Alastor, where had I heard that name before? It had to be someone Ember knew...

Then it hit me. The Auror, Mad-Eye Moody, who'd died in the Death Eater's plot to intercept Harry the summer before our seventh year. I hadn't heard much about who died, just that Harry hadn't. And, of course, while he taught at Hogwarts no one had ever called him _Alastor_.

"What was he like?" I asked, suddenly desperate to know this man. He must have had a massive effect of Ember, if she was willing to put his name before Troy's.

She looked at me, almost sadly. "He was the spitting image of an Auror." she told me. "Rough, tough, scars all over, never afraid of anything. Of course, he was paranoid as all get-out, but he was never wrong. He went down, fighting and protecting Harry. I think, if he were able to do it all again, he would do exactly the same things. You know, he lost his eye and a bit of his nose fighting Death Eaters. That was what he did. That's what he was good at. He was my inspiration, above anything else, to be an Auror."

She spoke so passionately, so factually, that I wished I could have gotten to know the man better. Once again, I was ashamed of how cruel I'd been in the past, and realized how much I'd missed out on by doing it. "It's a very good name." I said finally. "I brilliant name."

She smiled wider, more happily than I'd seen in a while. "Good. I wasn't going to change my mind anyway."


	24. Chapter 23

I walked into the Prophet offices to find everyone in a scramble. "What's going on?" I asked Terry, who was sweating a bit.

"Another Harbinger attack." he said, rifling through some papers. "This time a direct assault on Minister Kingsley."

I stared at him. "You're joking."

"I'm not. Take a look." he said, handing me a few pictures. "Luckily, Ginny and Harry were visiting him at the time, so she was able to take some photos of the whole thing."

"You're telling me Ginny Potter took out her camera in the middle of an attack and took photos?" I said skeptically, looking through them.

"Harry told her to leave. It was the least she could do." he said.

"Is the Minister alright?" I asked.

"He's fine. He was once an Auror, too, remember?"

"Right." I shook my head. "Ember's going to be pissed when she finds out. You should have seen what happened when they caught one of the Harbingers and she wasn't there."

"Whatever did happen to that bloke, anyway? Do we know how he escaped?"

"No. No one's heard a thing about it. Ember, of course, doesn't know. She hasn't been to the office in weeks."

"MALFOY!"

I turned to see a very tense Travence waving some papers around. "Marcus wants a story! Get on it!"

I nodded. "Yes, sir!"

Terry snorted. "Sir? You're starting to sound like your wife."

I rolled my eyes and headed to the back room to gather files and some quills, when suddenly, the door closed behind me. I sighed, not even bothering to turn around. "Again? Is this because I didn't die last time?"

"I told him not to do that." she said quietly. "But you left him no choice."

"Who?" I asked, turning to look at her. "Who is _he_?"

"He has many names." she said.

"Then pick one."

"If you don't stop this, you will put your family in danger! Why do you continue?"

"Because if I don't, who will?" I asked her. "Look, if you haven't noticed, everything you've tried so far has failed. I'm _one person_. Why is this so important to you people?"

"Look around, Draco." she said. "Do you see the effect you have on the wizarding world? Every time you publish an article, they read, they listen. What makes you so compelling is that you write in such a way that people _understand_. You put things in a perspective that makes a gray area look black and white. People are thinking differently! Even some of our attacks are starting to fail, thanks to the new courage of the wizards and witches."

"Good." I told her. "Then maybe your boss will knock it off when he finds out his plan is going nowhere."

"Don't you understand?" she snapped. "We all have our place in this world, yet you _continue_ to deny that! Where would we be without our statuses? Listen to me, we are the _rulers_ of this world! We are the powerful ones!"

I held up a hand to stop her. "I've been there." I said calmly, stepping forward. "I've been one of the so-called rulers of this world. And I will tell you right now that they will _always_, no matter who they are or who controls them, lose. I know. I was on the losing side. So don't even pretend to think that I might join your cause. You'd best get out while you can, too." She took a step back, looking both insulted and denying. "So why don't you just vanish like you always do? Go tell your boss that the articles will stop when he stops targeting Muggles and Muggle-borns. We're done here."

I pushed past her to get to the door, and she did something unexpected as I left.

She Disapperated.

**. . .**

"Did you hear?" I asked, tossing my jacket to the side.

"I heard." Ember said. She was curled up on the couch. She was not in a rage. This was terrifying.

"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Mm hm." she said, turning a page in her book.

I looked at her, totally bewildered. "Em, did you hear the same thing I heard? About Kingsley?"

"Yes." she said, looking at me. "Isn't that what you asked?"

"Well, yes, but..." I shook my head, unsure of how to approach this. "Well, you're not flaming at the eyes."

She snorted. "Well put, Draco, sweetheart. Don't worry. I'm just too tired for that right now."

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." she said sincerely. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Okay." I said, putting my arm around her. "Anything interesting happen today?"

"Oh, not much." she said, finally abandoning the book. "Hushluck came over around lunch and we had a lovely chat. I did a few chores here and there. Other than that, not much."

I stared at her, then slowly retracted my arm. "Alright, then. Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?"

She groaned and flopped her head against the back of the couch. _That_ was something I was familiar with. "I thought you wouldn't ask!" she said.

"Well, when you say things like 'lovely chat' without sarcasm, it's a bit hard to ignore." I told her. "What's the problem?"

"I'm trying to be a proper wife." she explained. "I figured I should be a better role model for our children, you know? Stop hitting everything."

I leaned over and kissed her head. "Now why on _Earth_ would you want to do that?" I asked. "It's so much more fun when you're you."

"But what about-"

"I'm willing to bet that whatever you act like around the house, at least _one_ of these kids will be just as wild and crazy as you are." I said, smiling. "And, please, for the love of God, don't ever talk like that again. It's rather frightening."

"You don't have to worry." she said. "But I'm so _bored_ around here. What am I supposed to do all day?"

"Tell you what." I said, lounging against the couch. "How about we invite some friends over for dinner? You can invite the Potters, and I'll invite Terry and his family. How's that?"

"For when?"

"Tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Yes!" she said vigorously. "Tomorrow is _fantastic_."

"Then it's settled. That's what you'll be doing tomorrow."

**. . .**

**Oh, Ember. She tries to be good and scares Draco, she tries to act normal, she scares Draco. She just can't win. Ah, well. At least she's trying. **

**But hey, what about mystery lady? You know, the next chapter just might be devoted to her and mystery boss. Sounds like fun.**


	25. Chapter 24

**I'm making an announcement, just so we're clear. I am _going_ to screw with people's ages, just because it works for the story. So don't get mad and tell me Teddy should be, I don't know, seven. He's three. That's how it's gonna be.**

**. . .**

"I'm sorry, sir. He still will not bend." said a woman with yellow eyes, her dark hair falling over her shoulders as she bowed.

"No matter." said the man seated in shadows. "He is weak. We needn't worry about him."

"But how week, sir?" she asked. "He told me himself, he was once a part of the Dark Arts."

"Did he give you a demonstration?"

"No, but-"

"Then he lies." the man said dismissively. "A man like him has never seen the darker side of magic. He has far too much to lose."

"But, sir-"

"No." he said. "Come here, my beautiful flower."

She approached the shadowed chair, then seated herself on the man's lap. He placed his arms around her and pulled her close. "Are you not excited?"

"In what way?"

"Every way." he murmured. "Our plan for the non-magic creatures of the world... it is unfolding right before your eyes."

She smiled, thinking about it. "And it is glorious, sir."

"Indeed. I came up with it." he said, burying his face in her slender neck. "Come, my exquisite beauty. We have preparations to attend."

"Yes, sir." she moaned, relaxing in his touch.

**. . .**

"You're kidding!" Ember cried, laughing so hard she could barely get the words out.

"I'm not!" Terry answered, laughing himself. "I swear, _best_ magic trinket we ever picked up. And the best bit, he always woke up the next morning and _never_ knew it had ever gone missing!"

"I had something like that once." said Harry, his arm around Ginny as she cradled James. "Except, instead of a sword that returned to its scabbard, it was my keys." He shook his head. "Before those, I _never_ knew where they were. I always had to use Alohomora to get in the house, and poor Ginny always thought we were being robbed."

"Whatever happened to the sword?" I asked.

"Oh, we don't know." said Terry's wife, Lizzie. "I'm sure Jefferson still has it. Can't get rid of the thing, can he?"

"I'd love to have something like that." said Ember. "It would be damn – er, very useful out in the field." she amended, looking quickly at baby James, who didn't even seem to notice.

"I wonder if there's a spell you can cast on your wand to make it do that." said Harry, twirling his own wand curiously.

"Mummy?" said a blue-haired three-year-old, ambling up to Ginny. "Mummy, I want another cookie."

"Not now, Teddy." Ginny whispered.

"No, no, it's fine." Ember said, getting up. "Come here, sweetie. There's more in the kitchen."

"Honestly, Em, how is he ever going to grow up right if you keep spoiling him?" Ginny teased.

"I can't help it." she said. "I think it's his hair. He's just so adorable. Here you go, mate."

There was a knock at the door, and all the Aurors in the room (a.k.a. two) immediately tensed. "I got it." I said, not wanting anyone to hex whoever was at the door. I opened it and was surprised to see Hermione and Ron Weasley standing at the door. "Hello." I said.

"Is this a bad time?" Hermione said, spotting the other people in the room beyond. "Ron, I _told_ you we should have called first."

"No, no, it's fine." I said, stepping back. "Come on in."

"Ron! Hermione!" said Ember, spreading her arms to greet them. "Oh, it's so good to see you again! We just finished dinner, but there's tons of leftovers if you want me to heat something up."

"We just ate." Ron assured her. "But we didn't know we'd be interrupting anything."

"Don't be ridiculous! You're always welcome!" Ember said. "Terry! Lizzie! You remember Ron and Hermione, right?"

"Of course we remember." said Terry. "We went to school with them, didn't we?"

"Uncah Ron!" Teddy cried, jumping into the ginger's arms.

"Hey, Teddy! What have you been getting into?" he said, ruffling the toddler's hair.

"Aunt Em helped me make a picture." he said proudly, pointing at the messily painted paper on the coffee table.

"Oh, look at that." he said, sounding impressed for Teddy's sake.

"Teddy, do you remember this lady?" Ginny asked, gesturing to Hermione.

Teddy looked at the brown-haired woman and nodded. "Aunt Her... Herm-own... Herm-own-ninny..." he said, struggling with the name.

Hermione laughed. "That's adorable."

"So what's the occasion?" Ron asked, sitting on the couch next to Harry.

"I was bored, that's what." said Ember, sitting back down. "Being at home all the time is maddening! At least Hushluck comes over every now and then during lunch."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Why did you two suddenly decide to come over?"

"Well, we haven't visited in so long." said Hermione. "We figured it was time to drop by."

"And Ember hasn't been in the office, so we've had virtually no contact." said Ron.

"Well, I'm glad you came. Tell me, what have you been up to?" she asked.

There was a tap on the window, so I went to see what it was while the others continued talking. It was an owl, one of the ones from the post office in Diagon Alley. I opened the window and took the letter from it. It flew into the kitchen as I opened the envelope, meaning I was supposed to reply.

Marcus wanted me to go to an anti-Muggle rally. Apparently, Anderlind would be speaking there, and I was to get a first-hand account of what went on. I took out a small sheet of parchment, wrote that I would be there, and sent it off with the owl.

I returned to the living room and sat next to Ember, deciding I'd tell her when everyone left.

**. . .**

**Yay! Ron and Hermione are back! I've been neglecting them, and that's just not nice. **


	26. Chapter 25

I was very disappointed at how many people came to the rally the next week. There had to be hundreds, if not a couple thousand people against the rights of Muggles. This was beginning to get out of hand. There were people with terrible messages scrawled on picket signs, and others had camped out in the great open area, so excited were they to participate in this.

I shook my head, losing hope in the human race as Anderlind stepped up.

He quieted the crowd with a look. He paused for a moment, then began to speak. "My fellow magic users," he began. "We have worked long and hard in our fight against Muggles and Muggle sympathizers. Yet the Ministry continues to oppose us! They tell us we are not in the right! And why? Because 'Muggles have just as much right to this world as we do'." he said mockingly, earning a few cheers from the crowd. "But do we, really, have as much right as they? How is it they are permitted to show their true nature, and we are not? My people, don't you want to stop hiding?"

Amid the cheers and roars of the crowd, it suddenly hit me why this man was so persuasive, and why he was allowed to run for office. He had a way of twisting things so they sounded good.

"I can give you that!" he called. "That, and more! So much more! All you need do is vote in my favor! Then, we can come out of hiding! We can be free!"

I shook my head as everyone around me cheered. "Mr. Anderlind!" I called, waving my quill in the air just to be _that_ much more annoying. "Mr. Anderlind!"

"Yes, you there, in the gray sweater." he said, pointing down at me. "What is it?"

"What will happen to the Muggles during this time of freedom?" I asked.

He smiled. I took a step back. To everyone else, the smile was full of pride in himself. To one who had been around Death Eaters, such as me, I recognized the thirst for blood in his eyes. He was, deep down, truly mad.

"Why, they will be enslaved, of course." he said smoothly. "And the ones who resist... They will not be a problem."

**. . .**

**Ember**

I opened the window so a red owl could fly in. "Hello, Arthur." I said, letting him land on my arm. Arthur, my own personal owl, was kept in my office for speed deliveries. We already had an owl here, and I would always have one ready if I needed one quickly. "What is it?"

He stuck out his leg and I took the letter. He nuzzled up to me for a moment, then took off again. The letter was for me, and it was from Harry.

"Trouble at the office." I read out loud, Merlin resting his shaggy head on my lap. "Come quick. We need all hands. You're the only one I trust." I looked out the window, fear entering my heart. What could be happening that they needed even me?

**. . .**

I had to stay blended in with the crowd. They had begun playing "Spot the Muggle Lover" and were throwing those they found out of the rally.

"Oi! You!" one of them yelled at me. I turned. "Yeah! You! Are you ready for the revolution?"

I had a sudden feeling of deja vu from fifth year and Ember's own revolution. I knew precisely how to act. "It's already started." I told him.

He blinked at me, then laughed and clapped me on the back. "Right you are, mate! Right you are!"

**. . .**

**Ember**

I stood in the middle of the vacant offices. Everyone was _gone_. Completely and totally. Without a trace of a struggle.

"Em?"

I turned, seeing Harry walking towards me and mirroring my own bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"

I stared at him. "You sent me a letter."

"Did not." he argued.

I produced the parchment from my pocket and handed it to him. He read it once, brow furrowing. "I didn't send this." he said.

"Harry!"

We looked up to see Hushluck walking towards us, waving a piece of paper. "What's going on?"

"I was thinking you could tell me." said Harry. "You _did_ send for me."

Hushluck looked taken aback. "I didn't send for anyone."

"So why are you here?" I asked.

He handed over his letter. "Hunter contacted me."

**. . .**

**Draco**

"How are you doing?" asked Travence.

I looked around, making sure no one was watching me. Using something as Muggle-friendly as a cell phone was dangerous. "I'm getting my story, if that's what you mean."

"Any trouble?"

"No, but there will be if I don't get off the phone. I have to go."

"Stay safe."

**. . .**

**Ember**

"Hunter!" I cursed through gritted teeth. Suddenly, I gasped as pain hit me from within.

"What's the matter?" Hushluck asked, looking at my doubled-up form with concern.

"Em? Em, are you... Oh, my God." said Harry, sounding worried. "We have to go. Now."

"Why? What's wrong?" Hushluck asked.

"Contractions. We have to get her to Mungo's. Come on. Make sure there's no one around. I don't like this. I don't like it at all."


	27. Chapter 26

I burst into Mungo's, noting that this isn't the first time I'd done this for Ember, and it probably wouldn't be the last. "Ember Malfoy? Just admitted?"

"For what?" asked the Welcome Witch, checking her records. 

"Er... birth?"

"Up the stairs, take a left, east wing." she said.

"Thanks." I said, just before taking off again. I made it to the hallway, spotting Hushluck outside one of the rooms. "She's in there?" I panted.

He nodded. "Harry's with her."

I wasted no time in going into the room. There, I found Ember, eyes tight shut against the pain with Harry grimacing as he held her hand. Or, rather, she gripped his.

"I can take it from here." I told him.

"She's all yours, mate." he said, extracting his hand from her grip.

"Where were you?" I asked as her pain passed. "Why are Harry and Hushluck the first ones here?"

"I was at the offices." she said, and I could tell she wasn't going to attempt to hide anything.

"Why?"

"I'm still wondering that. Argh!"

"Just breathe." I said, feeling more nervous with every second. Soon, others began trickling in to visit. First, Mum. She was crying. Then Mrs. Weasley, also crying, followed by Mr. Weasley, George and Angelina, Ginny, James, and Teddy, Ron and Hermione, and, eventually, Luna Longbottom.

"Sorry Neville couldn't come." she said in that dreamy voice she always had. "He'll be here later, though."

"That's alright, Luna." Ember forced out. "Can you please go get one of the Healers? Thank you."

I winced. The oncoming insults and verbal abuse was apparent in how polite she was being right then.

And I was right. The entire time she screamed at me like I was Anderlind himself. By the end, my hand felt as though it were broken, and my self-confidence was at an all time low. But it was _so_ worth it.

"Mrs. Malfoy," said the Healer, handing Ember one of the twins. "Meet your son." Then, she turned and handed me the other. "And your daughter."

She was beautiful. She had little tufts of hair as red as Ember's. Not like Weasley hair, no. It was less fiery and more rich. Her skin was pale and soft, and, as I held her, she opened her eyes.

"Em..." I said. She didn't answer, too consumed with our son to notice. "Em... Ember."

"What?"

"Her eyes are open."

She looked over. "What?"

"Look, she opened her eyes. They aren't supposed to do that yet." I said, tilting Cecelia so her open eyes could be seen.

A smile spread across Ember's face. "Draco... She has _your_ eyes." she whispered.

"M-my... my eyes?" I looked down and, indeed, they were a pale, rainy gray. I blinked. I'm not sure why, but I guess I expected all of our offspring to look like Ember.

"Let me see!" cried Mrs. Weasley, hustling into the room, followed by the others. "Oh, aren't they just _gorgeous_?"

"Mum, you said the same thing about James." Ginny accused playfully.

"What are their names?" George asked curiously.

"This is Cecelia Artemis." I said, a giddy feeling washing over me. I was a father. I was a father!

"And this is Alaster Troy." said Ember, turning him so the others could see. He was fast asleep in his blanket.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron pulled up short at that. Obviously Ember hadn't been advertising the names. "That's a good name." Harry said quietly while Ginny patted his arm. "A great name."

I looked down at Cecelia, my heart feeling more full than it had in a long time, perhaps ever. Looking at her, I knew right then that she was mine. My daughter. My little girl. And I knew I would love her forever.

"She has your eyes." said Mum, looking over my shoulder. "But she's the spitting image of her mother."

"This one looks more like his father." said Ember. "If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't believe they were twins."

"The only thing I can't explain is the freckles." I said.

"I have freckles." she said, sounding offended that I didn't know that.

"Not this many." I said. "She could be a Weasley."

"Ever heard of recessive genes?" she teased. Then, her eyes started to droop. I smiled at her, proud and happy. This was all I could ever hope for.

"Okay, let's let her sleep." Mrs. Weasley said quietly, beginning to usher everyone out of the room. "Do you want us to bring you something to eat, dear?" she asked me.

I shook my head, staring at the little girl in my arms. "No. I'll be okay." I looked up and watched as Harry was one of the last to leave, a slight frown forming on my face. What had happened at the office? Why were they there? I was sure Ember would tell me in due time, but this was maddening. Something was being put into motion that I hadn't seen before. Someone was on the inside.


	28. Chapter 27

In the month or so since Alastor and Cecelia were born, I'd been home taking care of them. But I found, to my surprise, that I didn't mind. I thought I would bemoan taking care of babies as much as having them, but this was so much better. Not to mention, they were downright adorable. And I was never bored, as it seemed like almost every day someone would come visit. Hushluck and Harry were some of the most frequent.

"Robards sends his congratulations." Harry said, smiling down at Cecelia. "Blimey, I can already tell this one's gonna be like her mum."

"Is... Hunter there?" I asked tentatively. I'd been meaning to ask them for a while, but I hadn't really wanted to interrupt moments of happiness.

Hushluck shook his head as Harry sighed. "No. He says he never sent a letter to Hushluck. The thing is, no one can tag him on it since none of us sent those letters, either." he said. "But the office was apparently ransacked after we left. It's a good thing we had to leave in such a hurry, or we would have been right in the middle of that."

I shook my head, looking down at the sleeping Alastor. "There's something... off about that man. I don't say that for a lot of people, but when I do, I'm right."

Hushluck snorted. "I think everyone knows that at this point."

I pursed my lips. "I just feel like we're at a breaking point, you know? Where something massive has to happen now."

"These two weren't enough?" Harry asked, tickling Cecelia.

"No, I mean the bad kind." I clarified.

**. . .**

**Harry**

"I'm putting you all on recon." said Robards when Hushluck, Ron, Hunter, and I entered his office. "I've been getting reports of somethin' fishy going on in the Forest of Dean. Someone needs to be on it."

"We'll be there in no time, sir." I said, nodding as we headed out.

**. . .**

**Draco**

"Malfoy!" Travence called. "We got another story for you to scope out! Forest of Dean!"

**. . .**

**Ember**

"I'll be home late," I said, reading Draco's letter aloud. "Going to the Forest of Dean for a story." I let my hand fall and looked at my mother-in-law, who was seated on the couch. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he go into the middle of the forest for a story?"

"Is there some sort of rally there?" she asked.

I shook my head, pacing. "No... But something else might be. Can you please stay here with the twins?"

"Why? Where are you going?" she questioned as I grabbed my jacket and my wand.

"To satisfy my paranoia."

**. . .**

It wasn't hard to find him. Or, should I say, _them_.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking around. Harry, Hushluck, Hunter, and Ron were there, too. They seemed to be arguing with Draco about something.

"We don't know." said Harry. "Hang on, what are you doing here?"

"Something didn't feel right." I looked at Draco. "Forest of Dean? Nothing felt off about that to you?"

"Yes, it did." he said in exasperation. "That's _why_ I came."

"For a story?" 

"For a fight." he said. "I want all this Harbinger nonsense over."

I pressed my lips together, shaking my head. "I can't believe this. Obviously it's a trap, but you already knew that, so you _came_."

"Relax, Red." said a very unwanted voice. I narrowed my eyes at Hunter.

"Stay out of this."

"Would if I could, love." he said amiably. "But, y'see, your violating your suspension. Gonna have to write you up for that one."

I heard a twig snap somewhere, and my already frayed nerves were standing on end. "Shut it. We need to get out of here. Now. We'll head east first."

"Can't we just Apparate?" asked Draco.

"No." said Harry, looking at me oddly. "They can trace Apparition. But how did you know that?"

I smirked at him as I began striding away, the group following. "You didn't _really_ think I'd just sit at home and play by the rules, did you?"

"Ember," Draco groaned.

"We're not discussing this." I told him.

"How can we not discuss this? You just decided it was a good idea to put yourself in danger _again_ without any thought for anyone else! What did you do with the kids?"

"They're with your mother." I said easily.

"My mother. Well, at least _that's_ okay, but everything else-"

"Ferdinand!" I cried, whirling around to glare at him. I took a step back in surprise as I saw a dark shape move behind Ron. "Ron! Look out!"

And then we were surrounded, every one of us being held by the Harbingers. I tried to fight mine, but he evaded me. "Ah ah ah." he taunted.

My lip curled automatically at the sound of his voice. "Hunter." I stated quietly as he roughly adjusted his grip on my arm. "I always knew it'd be you."

"Quiet, sweetheart." Hunter said, his wand digging in between my shoulder blades. "I'm quite enjoying this."


	29. Chapter 28

We were lead into a clearing, shoved into kneeling positions, and tied up in a circle facing outward. I was proud to see that none of us had a trace of fear on our faces. We just stared defiantly at our captors, daring them to strike the first blow.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see a way out of this. No one knew we were in trouble, and we wouldn't be able to contact anyone. It struck me then how unintelligent it was that we didn't have anyone monitoring Aurors when they went out into the field.

I was kneeling between Ron and Draco when the Harbingers grouped in front of us, looking rather menacing. The one at the forefront pulled back his hood, revealing a man with a chiseled chin covered in black stubble and dark, beady eyes. The breath caught in my throat as I recognized him. He smirked at all of us. "Well done, Hunter. I must admit, I had my doubts, but you pulled this off quite nicely." he said appreciatively. "Here's the gold, as promised."

"How much did you get?" Harry spat. "Was it worth it?"

Hunter jingled the bag in front of us. "Seventeen Galleons. For the lot of ya."

I knew our situation was bad. But seventeen Galleons? For all five of us? That just wasn't right. After all the trouble we'd caused...

Trouble.

I had it. A way out. But it would mean doing something I knew the others wouldn't like. "Oi!" I called to the main man. Crow. "Oi! Crow!"

He turned, mildly surprised, and looked at me. "You seem familiar, have I slept with you before?"

I made a face. "You wish. You know who I am."

He stepped closer, then his face cleared. "Ah... yes. The desperate housewife. You're a tad thinner now, did you know?"

"Let me go." I commanded.

He let out a bark of laughter. "Let you go? Why on earth would I do that?"

"I did the same for you once. You owe me." I said.

I felt Draco give me a stunned look. "What?" he whispered.

Crow considered this for a moment. "Yeah, you did, didn't you? I'm sure you got into a fair amount of trouble. Ah, well. I don't think you're part of the boss' plan. Why not? Release her."

"What?" exclaimed Hunter, eyes huge. "N-no! You must need her for something!"

"I don't like being in anyone's debt." Crow answered calmly. "Don't worry, you can still keep the money."

One of the other cloaked Harbingers came over and untied me. I stood, watching them warily. When no one moved to attack, I did the one thing I knew would make the others hate me for a lifetime.

I ran.

**. . .**

**Draco**

I watched Ember take off into the trees, my insides in complete turmoil. What just happened? _What just happened?_

"Where is she going?" I muttered to Harry as the Harbingers discussed their next move. "What just happened?"

"Don't worry, she'll be back." he assured me.

"So she's done this before?"

"No. Never."

I shook my head. "What did she mean when she said 'You owe me'?"

"She didn't tell you?" he asked, not sounding very surprised.

"If you haven't noticed, she doesn't tell me a lot of things." I said unhappily.

He sighed. "That's the reason you're alive right now. When you were attacked, we all thought you would die. So Ember got some outside help from the Harbinger we captured. Promised to set him free if he healed you."

I felt my heart plummet. Of all the secrets she kept, _that_ was one I hadn't been expecting. "Are you serious?"

"I'm pretty sure that was the biggest problem she ever caused." he confirmed. "But if she's willing to do that to save one person-"

"There's no telling what she'll do to save the rest of us." I said, my fear starting to be replaced by a need to hit something. "We need to figure out a way out of here."

"Are you sure that wasn't _her_ plan?" he asked.

"_Her_ plan might involve someone dying."

"Wouldn't any of ours?"

I didn't respond. I was concentrating too hard on accessing certain parts of my brain I hadn't touched in a very long time. Not since Voldemort was killed. I began to go back to a time when the unforgivable was deemed okay.

"We have a problem." said Ron, watching with a pained expression as three Harbingers left the group.

"Where are they going?" Harry asked.

"I just heard. They're going to get rid of Ember."


	30. Chapter 29

**Ember**

I ran through the forest, planning on getting as far as possible, then Apparating to the Ministry to round up some help.

I heard footsteps behind me and whirled around to see five Harbingers coming my way. I did a quick scan and figured two of them must have been sentries, judging by their appearance and their air of having been caught lazing about. The other three must have been sent by Crow. I hadn't really expected him to just let me go, anyway.

"_Flipendo_!" I yelled, knocking one of them back as I ran through the trees. I dodged a bright yellow jet of light, feeling my heart start to race in a way that I'd missed. I was back.

I shot more spells back, and they returned fire. I was almost smiling with the return of the chase, when I nearly ran into a wall of earth. I looked up, knowing I couldn't jump that high and that I'd hit a dead end. I turned, firing spell after spell at the enemy. Perhaps I'd misjudged my talents. Wouldn't have been the first time.

My foot slipped on a twig and I fell, a small gasp escaping my lips. But then, just when I thought it was the end, an arrow sprouted from the chest of the foremost Harbinger. They stopped as one, all staring at the arrow in surprise while the man fell back. An arrow? Where had _that_ come from?

The sound of hooves was answer enough. I looked up, and from above me about fifteen centaurs leaped down and chased after the terrified Harbingers. I stood up, then pressed myself against the wall as a few more jumped down, but these stayed. At the front of this group was yet another familiar face, but this one was from long ago.

"It has been a long time, Ember Greyson."

I took a shaky breath. "Well... you certainly know the perfect time to pay a visit." I said. "How'd you get all the way to the Forest of Dean?"

"We roam where we wish." he said vaguely. I shouldn't have expected anything else. "The stars told me you would be in danger, and that I and my brethren would help."

I considered this for a moment. To be perfectly honest, I'd always seen centaurs as a bit loony, but that was just their nature. If one was smart, they could use that to their advantage. "Erm... well, I'm still in danger, you know." I said.

"Indeed?"

"Yes. There are more Harbingers, and their leader, I think. They have my friends, er, one of them being Harry Potter." I was throwing things out now, hoping he'd agree to still help me. "And they have plans of dominating the Muggle race, which I'm sure you've seen in the stars, and they'll try and do it through... through..." Suddenly, everything clicked into place. I'm not sure if anyone else has had that feeling, but it's sort of like the clouds clearing and the sun coming out, only in your brain. "Anderlind," I muttered. "Oh, I _knew_ it, this is _gold_! Come on!"

"You will have to run." Iledred informed me.

"Oh, that's alright, I could use the exercise. Come on!"

**. . .**

**Draco**

"What are you thinking?" Harry asked as we were lead through the forest.

"You don't want to hear the answer." I said quietly.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked. "We've been walking for ages."

"Their camp." said Hushluck. "They've got it set up deeper in the forest."

"Do you think we'll finally meet their leader?" Ron asked.

"No." said Harry. "Not the main leader, anyway. We're not important enough."

"We're important enough to set up a trap." I pointed out.

"It wasn't an elaborate trap. We all figured it out as soon as we got here." he reasoned. "No, we're just very annoying."

Not long after, we started to approach a glow in the distance, signifying a camp fire. Then we emerged into a bigger clearing than the last, with a bunch of tents and three fires. There were many more Harbingers here, standing around ominously.

"Are they going to eat us?" Ron asked, earning an elbow to the ribs from one of the guards.

Another Harbinger emerged from the biggest tent, and, like the others, his hood was up. He seemed to consider us for a moment, then nodded. "These are they."

"Oh, good. I was _so_ uncertain." said the one called Crow sarcastically. "What are you going to _do_ with them?"

"Kill them." the main one said simply, without hesitation.

"Wait!" Ron cried, seemingly at random. This surprised the Harbingers, and they hesitated. In that one second, everyone heard the same thing. "Are those... hoofbeats?" he asked.

And then they came. A hundred of them, maybe, all with bows drawn and arrows knocked.

Centaurs.

It was like a gift from God, as the Harbingers scattered and began trying to fight the horse-men. The four of us watched in fascination, utterly bewildered. Where had they come from?

There was a tugging on the ropes at my wrists, then they fell away. I looked back and saw a mane of dark red hair behind Harry. "Ember?"

"Sorry I'm late." she said lightly, now working on Ron's ropes. "I had company."

"You don't say." said Harry. "Where did you get them?"

"Believe me, it was a blast from the past." she said dryly. "Come on. I've figured it out. It all makes sense."

"What does?"

"I need your help. Here's the plan..."

**. . .**

**I've always wanted to end a chapter with that line. It's just so cliché. :D I feel better now that I've done it.**


	31. Chapter 30

"Ready?" I asked.

The boys nodded, excitement and adrenaline filling the air. Relaying the plan hadn't taken more than a minute, and the sounds of battle were still ringing out. "Go."

Hushluck and Ron immediately went to take care of any excess Harbingers while Harry took off to find Crow. I shoved Draco's messenger bag at him, purposefully having neglected to tell him his part in the plan. "Take this." I said. "Get it out, and don't miss."

"Wha – Don't miss? Ember, what-"

I was gone, searching for the leader amidst the chaos. I had to fend off three other Harbingers along the way, but I didn't mind. Fuel for the fire.

And there he was. Attempting to escape with whatever he could. I checked to make sure Draco was watching. He had his camera out with a confused look on his face. I nodded at him, which only served to confuse him more. I turned back to the leader and, before he could vanish, I jumped on his back and yanked his hood down, revealing none other than Krish Anderlind. "Now!" I cried.

Draco's eyes grew wide, and he wasted no time in snapping the picture. Proof that Anderlind was working with the Harbingers. "Well, Mr. Anderlind." I said, binding his hands. "Seems your campaign is quite over, doesn't it?"

"You'll be punished for this." he hissed. "All of you."

"Hm. Don't quite think so." I said, pushing him away. "Iledred! Take your centaurs and go home! We can handle it from here!"

He nodded, then gave some sort of signal, and the centaurs ran off. They were replaced by the rest of the Auror office, who I'd sent for just before rescuing the others. I smiled. Everything was falling into place.

"No!" someone cried. I looked over, startled, to see Crow giving me a hideous glare. "No! You ruined _everything_!"

"That was the point mate. Someone handle him." I said easily, pushing Anderlind away again.

"_ADMOR-"_

"_AVADA KADAVRA_!"

Crow was blasted back, and I turned to see Draco with his wand raised, an expression of hatred on his face. Before I could even register exactly what had happened, another shout rang out.

"_CAEDES!_"

Time stopped. Draco fell. Blood appeared on his chest. His shocked face mirrored that of those around him. One by one, all the Harbingers that hadn't yet been tied up with anti-magic bonds began vanishing. I heard nothing. I let go of Anderlind, safe in his own bonds, and ran to Draco's side. The volume of life had been switched off, and I heard nothing of what was going on around me. "Draco," I whispered, voice sounding panicked. "Draco, you'll be okay. It's okay."

"Em..." He looked up at me, eyes wide. "In the desk. In the..."

His gray eyes closed. He stilled.

"No! No, no, no, no. No..." Tears streamed down my face. I was back in that rainy alley, holding Troy's limp body. I was fifteen in the Department of Mysteries, watching Sirius fall through the veil. I was seventeen, seeing Lupin and Tonks and Fred and Colin Creevey. I'd had to watch this too many times. But not with him. Never with him, I _swore_ that. There hadn't been enough time. There's never enough time.

I don't know how long I sat there. I was conscious of the tear-down and bagging of evidence going on around me. I was aware of Harry keeping everyone away. I could hear their silence louder than any shout. I ignored them all. I just sat and stayed by his side, never wanting to leave it again.

When I finally went home, sometime in the afternoon the next day, I was too exausted to cry. Narcissa was still weeping silently. I just patted each of the twins and went straight for the desk. His desk. I opened the middle drawer, and immediately found what I was looking for. There were three boxes wrapped neatly in silver paper. One was for Alastor, the other for Cecelia, and the third was for me. Christmas gifts. He wanted me to know they were there, so the twins wouldn't miss out on their first Christmas.

**. . .**

In the end, I think it was Hunter I hated most. I got the satisfaction of hearing that the Harbingers had left him behind. I also got the satisfaction of watching him get the death sentence for his crimes.

But, while I was relieved the weight of the traitor, a hole had been made in my heart that could never really be filled. I took care of the twins and, day by day, I cried less. When I finally went back to work, I was withdrawn. I could talk to Harry and Ron, but that was the extent of it. My passion to defeat the Harbingers was stronger than ever, but none of what I did would ever bring him back.

I think the hardest part about everything was that all my fighting had been for nothing. I would find myself thinking about what might have happened if I had just stayed away from him in fifth year. If I had just listened to Harry or Ginny and continued to spite him. But then I would look at Alastor and Cecelia and find I didn't want to know what that was like. It was a very, very long time before I could finally be someone again, without thinking in circles.

But, even though we'd foiled the plans of the Harbingers for now, they were still out there, and they were recovering fast. There was still a lot left to do.

**. . .**

**Because I am the worst kind of human being.**


	32. Author's Note

**Okay, guys. I guess I have an apology to make.**

**I'm sorry I killed Draco. But, I'd changed his character so much he really wasn't even Draco anymore. That still is no excuse, but it's part of my reasoning. **

**The other reason is that it worked for the story. I am fully planning on making another story, because I'm masochistic like that. This follows the next generation, and I think you guys will like the twins. But I needed a reason for fighting, and that seemed like a good enough reason. **

**Anyway, same message as last time: You can make art for this, even though I'm sure no one will, link it back to me, blah blah blah. I have a deviantart account. The name's InsideRainyDay for anyone interested.**

**Be prepared for the next story to run **_**exactly**_** like all the others. As in, a bunch of updates, and then weeks/months of nothing. I get bored easily, and then I get un-bored. **

**Lastly, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed! You guys are fantastic! I'm always checking my e-mail to see who else said something about the story. You guys are a fantastic audience, and I'm glad you like my manipulations of someone else's world. And even if you didn't review and instead favorited or put this on story alert, I love you, too. You guys are amazing. **

**Love you all!**

**~Lina Cross**


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